Municipal Buildings, Church Street, Dumbarton

James Thomson (of Baird & Thomson, Glasgow) architect. Dated

1. Large asymmetrical, 2-storey, L-plan block, with former

stables and service wing. Scottish Jacobean details. Stugged

red sandstone ashlar with polished dressings. South and east

elevations broadly similar with off-centre 3-storey, single

bay square tower. South elevation: tower with round-headed

door in moulded architrave, ogival-headed window above;

corbelled 2nd floor, decorative bipartite, with burgh arms in crow-stepped dormer head; angle shafts corbelled from 1st

floor support clasping conical-roofed and finialed turrets;

tall, panelled stacks flank pyramidal roof, finished with

iron brattishing. Advanced west bays with large, 1st floor

mullioned and transomed oriel, shaped and crow-stepped gable

with obelisk and lion finials, and 2 ogee-capped axial

ventilators: linked to tower by 2 lower bays; 5 bays to east,

2 under crow-stepped gable. East elevation: variation of the

southern tower, angle finials, decorative lead roof with

finialed bell-cast cap. Outer bays broader and gabled;

bipartites in north bay below shaped gable; 2-storey canted

window in south bay below gable with kneelers; intermediate

bays all have decorative, shaped or pedimented dormer heads.

Corniced stacks, slate roofs.

Interior: entrance hall has decorative tiled walls; panelled

doors have copper finger plates with Art Nouveau details,

leaded glass stair window commemorating coronation of King

Edward inserted 1903; council chambers have leaded windows

portraying "science, engineering, truth, justice, fortitude

and faith". Single storey former stable block has

segmental-arched openings, stepped stacks and piended roof.

Corniced, square, polished red ashlar gatepiers to east and

to west have decorative wrought-iron gates.