Following significant population growth, largely associated with the mining industry, a group of local businessmen decided to raise finance for the building of a town hall. The site they selected formed part of the
glebe, a plot of land adjacent to New Cumnock Parish Church. The foundation stone for the new building was laid by Mrs Shaw, the wife of a local solicitor and
factor to the
Marquess of Bute, Charles George Shaw, on 23 June 1888. It was designed by Allan Stevenson of
Ayr in the
Queen Anne style, built in red
sandstone at a cost of £750 and was officially opened by Charles George Shaw on 20 February 1889. The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage with five bays facing onto Castle. The left hand bay, which was significantly recessed, contained bi-partite
mullioned windows on both floors with a
Dutch gable above. The second bay featured a doorway flanked by
pilasters supporting an
entablature and an open
pediment with a
cartouche in the
tympanum. The right-hand section of three bays, which was projected forward and gabled, was fenestrated by tri-partite mullioned windows on both floors with an open pediment above the first-floor window. After some initial works had been completed with financial support from
Hans Rausing, a comprehensive restoration of the building, financed by the
Mansour Foundation and the
Hunter Foundation started in April 2016. The work was carried out by contractors, Taylor and Fraser, and involved extensive treatment for both
wet rot and
dry rot as well as extensive repairs to the masonry. After the works had been completed, the building was officially re-opened by the Duke of Rothesay on 23 October 2016. The building subsequently reverted to serving as a community events venue as well as the regular meeting place of the New Cumnock Community Council. ==See also==