Mountain Ash Town Hall

Mountain Ash Town Hall is a purpose-built civic building dating from the Arts and Crafts baroque style. Constructed of brown snecked rock-faced stone with contrasting pale ashlar decorative detailing, it has a hipped slate roof with a brick chimney set within the pitch and on the ridge, a boarded clock tower. The clock tower features clock-faces on the front and rear, a railed balustrade, and a decorative open tiered bell-cote/cupola with round arches and a swept metal roof, topped with a weathervane. The building has two storeys and an asymmetrical frontage. Windows are cross-framed with top-opening casements, some with small panes, all set within wide ashlar surrounds. A central five-window range is defined by full-length pilasters. The first-floor windows are segmental arched with keystones, a cornice, and small-pane top-lights. Above the outer and centre windows are three segmental-arched dormers with decorative leaded coloured glass, now double-glazed. Ground floor windows have square heads. A central porch features a segmental-arched pediment incorporating a cartouche with an inscription and fronts a small balcony, supported by scrolled and fluted console brackets. It has 6-panelled double doors with a small-pane overlight. To the left is a slightly projecting three-window bay with a segmental-arched parapet and cartouche-panel above the centre first-floor window, with the arch repeated in the cornice band to the ground floor windows, where the wide end pilasters are incorporated. To the right is a narrow projecting bay with a keyed oculus to the ground floor and a set-back end wing with a separate roof-pitch and a narrow side doorway with a plain surround, scroll pediment, and a giant keystone. Some corners are chamfered with mouldings over. The sides of the building have simpler ashlar dressings, with virtually none to the rear, where a wall with tall metal railings forms a small courtyard.

The lobby contains steps leading to double swing doors with Art Nouveau-style leaded coloured glass and decorative green and brown ceramic-tiled dado. A similar dado is found in the inner hall, and the staircase has a turned mahogany newel post and twisted metal balusters. Original door surrounds and simple cornices have been retained. Reports suggest that some upstairs fireplaces survive behind blockings.