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2025-03-27T15:33:31Z

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{{short description|Municipal building in Kirkcaldy, Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name =Kirkcaldy Town House
| native_name =
| image =Kirkcaldy town house, Kirkcaldy.jpg
| caption =Kirkcaldy Town House
| locmapin =Scotland Fife
| map_caption =Shown in Fife
| coordinates ={{coord|56.109905|-3.162263|display=inline,title}}
| location =[[Kirkcaldy]]
| area =
| built =1956<ref name="Pride p53" />
| architect = David Carr and William Howard
| architecture =
| governing_body =
| designation1 =Category B Listed Building
| designation1_offname =
| designation1_date =22 March 1988
| designation1_number =LB36387
| website=
}}
'''Kirkcaldy Town House''' is a Scandinavian influenced [[town hall]] located in [[Kirkcaldy]], [[Fife]], Scotland. The current town house was begun in 1937, from a competition-winning design by architects David Carr and William Howard of [[Edinburgh]]. Only the foundations had been put in place before construction was interrupted by the [[Second World War]]. Work resumed on the building in 1950 and was completed in two separate phases between 1953 and 1956. The town house would serve as the headquarters of Kirkcaldy Town Council from 1956 to 1975 and then [[Kirkcaldy (district)|Kirkcaldy District Council]] from 1975 to 1996. Today, the role of the town house is the headquarters of the local area committee of [[Fife Council]]. Kirkcaldy Town House is protected as a Category B [[listed building]].<ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB36387|desc=Wemyssfield, Town House with Provost's Lamps and Boundary Walls|cat=B|access-date=20 March 2019}}</ref>

== History ==
Until the 1930s, the main municipal building in Kirkcaldy was the old townhouse and jail at the junction of High Street and Tolbooth Street which was completed in 1826.<ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB44108|desc= Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court including boundary wall and excluding large extension to east, Whytescauseway, Kirkcaldy|cat=B|access-date=29 September 2024}}</ref> The old town house on the High Street was demolished in 1935.<ref name="Walkabout p15">Kirkcaldy Civic Society ''Town Centre Walkabout'' p.15.</ref><ref name="Council pp13-15">Fife Council ''Kirkcaldy's History, Its Places and Its Famous Folk'' pp.13-15.</ref> A site for the new town house was chosen to the north of the town centre, which involved the demolition of three main villas - Adelaide, St Oalfs and Tilehurst - to make space.<ref name="Walkabout p39">Kirkcaldy Civic Society ''Town Centre Walkabout'' p.39.</ref>

Construction of the new town house began in 1939 from a competition-winning design by David Carr and William Howard of Edinburgh.<ref name="Glen p261">Glen ''Kirkcaldy: An illustrated history'' p.261.</ref> Only the foundations of the building had been put in place before work was interrupted by the Second World War. The nearby Osborne House on East Wemyss Place would serve as a temporary town office, for the time being.<ref name="Walkabout p39" /> Work on the town house resumed in 1950.<ref name="Glen p261" /> This was split into two phases: the officers' section and the councillors' section. The first phase (including the officers' section) was opened by James Young, then [[Secretary of State for Scotland]] on 6 July 1953.<ref name="Glen p261" /> The second and final phase of the building (including the councillors' section and unveiling the statue of "The Sower" by [[Thomas Whalen (sculptor)|Thomas Whalen]]) was opened by the town [[Provost (civil)|provost]], David Wright, on 6 July 1956.<ref name="Glen p261" />

The town council had their first meeting in the new building on 12 November 1956.<ref name="Glen p261" /> In 1975, the town house became the headquarters of [[Kirkcaldy (district)|Kirkcaldy District Council]].<ref name="Pearson p15">Pearson ''Around Kirkcaldy'' p.15.</ref> Today the town house serves as the headquarters of the local area committee of [[Fife Council]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fife.gov.uk/facilities/customer-service-centres/kirkcaldy-customer-service-centre|title=Kirkcaldy Customer Service Centre|publisher=Fife Council|accessdate=14 April 2020}}</ref>

== Description ==
The town house has been described as having a "flat roofline, rectangular profile and somewhat delicate lintel detail - in addition to neo-classical window spacing and a main facade with spindly belfry steeple".<ref name="Glen p261" /> The building has been compared to the [[Scottish National Library]] on [[George IV Bridge]] in Edinburgh for having a modern style with classical or traditional elements and recognised for Scandinavian influences.<ref name="Pride p53">Pride ''Kingdom of Fife'' p.53.</ref><ref name="Glen p261" />

The base of the town house features Darney stone from [[East Woodburn]], with the walls being made from Blaxter stone, both of which were brought north to the town from [[Northumberland]] quarries.<ref name="Council pp13-15" /> The surroundings of the main entrance are made of Elverwater stone.<ref name="Council pp13-15" /> The stone on the walls was done by retired masons from around the ages of 65 to 80.<ref name="Glen p261" />

The clock tower which sits on top of the building was designed by David Carr of Edinburgh.<ref name="Glen p261" /> The [[Nordic countries|Nordic]] influenced design depicts St Bryce, the patron saint of Kirkcaldy.<ref name="Pride p53" /><ref name="Glen p261" /> A small copper ball, {{convert|3|ft}} in diameter, at the bottom of the vane, is supposed to represent the world.<ref name="Council pp13-15" /><ref name="Glen p261" /> The figure is located at the top of the {{convert|20|ft|adj=on}} weather vane with the intention he can look across the town as the vane turns around in the wind, with the world at his feet.<ref name="Council pp13-15" /> The vane, probably made of wrought iron, was designed by [[Thomas Hadden]] of Edinburgh.<ref name="Glen p261" /> However, the top part of the spire, including the ball and vane, were removed in 2017 after their weight was found to be damaging the roof.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Watson |first=Jonathan |date=9 October 2017 |title=Call to return ‘overweight’ spire to Kirkcaldy landmark |url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife/521465/call-to-return-overweight-spire-to-kirkcaldy-landmark/ |access-date=27 March 2025 |work=The Fife Courier}}</ref>

The Town House contains many symbolic artefacts relating to the region's heritage. At the back of the town house lie six of the seven provost's lamps of the former [[royal burgh]]s within Kirkcaldy district.<ref name="Council pp13-15" /><ref name="Brown p85">Brown ''Fife Coast'' p.85.</ref> The six lamps are from: [[Kirkcaldy]], [[Burntisland]], [[Kinghorn]], [[Leven, Fife|Leven]], and [[Buckhaven and Methil]].<ref name="Council pp13-15" /> These lamps once stood outside the houses of senior councillors, and were all brought to this site when the royal burghs were abolished in 1975.<ref name="Durie p75">Durie ''Britain in old photographs: Kirkcaldy and East Fife'' p.75.</ref> Only the lamp for [[Leslie, Fife|Leslie]] is missing.<ref name="Council pp13-15" /><ref name="Brown p85" /> Around the building, both of the town's two coats of arms can be seen.<ref name="Glen p261" /> The spiritual coat of arms showing St Bryce is located at the south entrance and the one which depicts [[Dunfermline Abbey]] is at the west entrance.<ref name="Glen p261" /> Inside the building itself, displayed across the stairwell is a mural designed by Walter Pritchard of the [[Glasgow School of Art]].<ref name="Glen p261" /> This makes references to the industries associated with the town such as [[linoleum]], [[coal mining]] and [[weaving]].<ref name="Glen p261" /> Other references are to famous people such as [[Adam Smith]] and the [[Robert Adam|Adam brothers]]. [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] is shown granting the town its royal burgh status in 1644, received by a figure in a [[Clan Sinclair|Sinclair]] tartan.<ref name="Glen p261" />

==See also==
* [[List of listed buildings in Kirkcaldy, Fife]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |title=The Fife Coast |author=Brown, Hamish |isbn=1-85158-608-3 |year=1994 |publisher=Mainstream}}
*{{cite book |title=Kirkcaldy: A New Illustrated History |author=Glen, Duncan |publisher=Akros Publications |year=2004 |isbn=0-86142-146-9}}
*{{cite book|title=Kirkcaldy and East Fife |series=Britain in Old Photographs |author=Durie, Bruce |isbn=978-0-7509-2829-8 |publisher=History Press |year=2002}}
*{{cite book |author=Pearson, John M. |year=1993 |title=Around Kirkcaldy |publisher=Levenmouth Printers}}
*{{cite book |title=The Kingdom of Fife: An Illustrated Architectural Guide |series=RIAS illustrated architectural guides to Scotland |publisher=Rutland Press |isbn=1-85158-256-8 |author=Pride, Glen |year=1990}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kirkcaldy]]
[[Category:Category B listed buildings in Fife]]
[[Category:Government buildings completed in 1956]]
[[Category:City chambers and town halls in Scotland]]
[[Category:Listed government buildings in Scotland]]
[[Category:Modernist architecture in Scotland]]
[[Category:Clock towers in the United Kingdom]]

Kirkcaldy Town House - Revision history

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