Burgh Hall, Church Street, Dumbarton

Melvin & Leiper of Glasgow, architects. Foundation Stone

laid 23.6.1865. Damaged by fire 11.12.1882, and restored

1883, William Leiper, architect. Large, symmetrically planned

French Gothic former academy; 2 storeys and attic, with

square, central, 4-stage tower. Snecked ashlar with polished

dressings. Most openings hoodmoulded (some with cusped heads)

under pointed-arched mouldings; windows flanking tower mostly

have columned jambs and mullions, with foliated capitals.

Tower supported on square piers with arched openings between,

and main door recessed. 2nd stage of tower has window with

columns and gabled canopy to front elevation, simple single

lights to flanks; 3rd stage rises above eaves level, with

tall slender paired lancets to each face. Corbelled,

octagonal angle turrets at top stage, each with slender

shafts and pinnacles; simple rose window recessed in pointed

and gabled panel to each face between. Tower is flanked by

arcaded 5-light windows at ground floor, with single window

to outer bays; 3 plate-traceried windows at 1st floor with

single narrow light to outer bay; 3 gabled and barge-boarded

dormers with 8-pane upper sashes. Additional gabled doorway

at extreme left, corresponding gabled pend to right.

Continuous strings at cill and at impost level of each floor,

eaves course and bracketed main cornice (these all continued

across tower). Slate roof. East (rear) elevation: scars at

ground level of formerly adjoining burgh hall (now

demolished); 2 stair towers, each with pointed and facetted

roof, that to left taller, and reaching into attic. Narrow,

mullioned and transomed windows; rectangular roof lights and ventilators.

Simple interior.