Recent Fire in Town Hall, Dumfries. 89 



employed by the county, was desired to examine the premises 

 and prepare plans and report, and after considerable adjust- 

 ments had been made on the plans, a contract was entered 

 into for the execution of the works with a Dumfries firm of trades- 

 men, Messrs M'Gowan, M'Cubbin & Geddes, and the architect 

 appointed Mr James Thomson, Edinburgh, clerk of works. 

 Some important alterations were made during the progress of 

 the contract. The works embraced in the contract consisted 

 chiefly in building the addition at the back, much in its present 

 form ; adding the front room, with the existing facade ; and 

 adapting the interior of the hall. One of the after improve- 

 ments referred to an alteration of the roof, the apex of which 

 rose high above the front, was cut off, and the truncated form 

 was finished with a platform so as not to be observable from the 

 street. The change cost £187. The canopy and ornamental 

 parts of the bench, also additional to the contract, were the work 

 of Mr Steel, Edinburgh, and the charge amounted to £64 9s 6d. 

 The total expenditure by the county for the purchase and con- 

 version of the premises amounted to about £4000. 



The symmetrical Buccleuch Street facade was designed, as 

 we have seen, by Mr Gillespie, architect, Edinburgh. It is not 

 devoid of refinement and good taste. The fault it exhibits is lack 

 in force and dignity. 



Dr Babbington, it is presumed, in disposing of the taber- 

 nacle, had in view to proceed with the Episcopal Chapel erected 

 at the corner of Buccleuch Street and Castle Street, assisted with 

 the sums he had received in connection with the transfer. 



Both the chapel and the county buildings have yielded to 

 the progress of fifty years. New county buildings have been 

 erected on the opposite side of Buccleuch Street, and on their 

 completion in 1867 the old court-house, converted from the 

 tabernacle, was purchased by the town for the sum of £1120, 

 and converted with an after expenditure of about £500 for the 

 purposes of a Town Hall. 



On the morning of Monday, the 20th November last, a fire 

 broke out in the Town Hall, at a point over the heating furnace, 

 and within a short time the whole interior was destroyed, 

 together with a number of valuable effects which cannot be re- 

 placed, such as the portraits of King William and Queen Mary, 



