Municipal Buildings, Church Street, Dumbarton

The Municipal Buildings on Church Street in Dumbarton were designed by architect James Thomson of Baird & Thomson, Glasgow, and completed in 1900. This large, asymmetrical, two-storey building is arranged in an L-shape and includes former stables and a service wing, showcasing Scottish Jacobean architectural details. The structure is built from stugged red sandstone ashlar with polished dressings.

The south and east elevations are broadly similar, featuring an off-centre, three-storey square tower. The south elevation includes a tower with a round-headed door set in a moulded architrave, and an ogival-headed window above it. The second floor is corbelled and features a decorative bipartite window, with the burgh arms displayed in a crow-stepped dormer head. The angle shafts are corbelled from the first floor and support conical-roofed turrets topped with finials. Tall, panelled stacks flank a pyramidal roof, which is finished with iron brattishing. The advanced west bays feature a large first-floor oriel window with mullions and transoms, a shaped and crow-stepped gable adorned with obelisk and lion finials, and two ogee-capped axial ventilators. These bays are linked to the tower by two lower bays, while the east elevation has five bays, two of which are under a crow-stepped gable.

The east elevation presents a variation of the southern tower, with angle finials and a decorative lead roof capped with a finial. The outer bays are broader and gabled, with bipartite windows in the north bay beneath the shaped gable, and a two-storey canted window in the south bay beneath its gable, featuring kneelers. The intermediate bays all have decorative shaped or pedimented dormer heads, with corniced stacks and slate roofs.

Inside, the entrance hall features decorative tiled walls, and the panelled doors are fitted with copper finger plates that display Art Nouveau details. A leaded glass stair window commemorating the coronation of King Edward was inserted in 1903. The council chambers are adorned with leaded windows that depict themes of "science, engineering, truth, justice, fortitude, and faith." The single-storey former stable block has segmental-arched openings, stepped stacks, and a piended roof. Additionally, there are corniced, square, polished red ashlar gatepiers to the east and west, which are complemented by decorative wrought-iron gates.