Penicuik Town Hall (formerly the Cowan Institute), 33 High Street, Penicuik

Penicuik Town Hall, originally built as the Cowan Institute at 33 High Street, is a red sandstone civic building in the centre of Penicuik, a town in Midlothian, Scotland, south of Edinburgh. It is one of the most recognisable buildings on the town's main street.

Who built the Cowan Institute and why?

The building grew out of a bequest from Alexander Cowan, a papermaker who died in 1859. The Cowan family ran the paper business at Valleyfield Mills, which shaped the economy of Penicuik for generations. His son Charles Cowan, who was the local MP, saw the project through, and the architect Campbell Douglas was commissioned in the early 1890s. The aim was to give the town a place for learning, meetings and recreation.

When was it completed and what does it look like?

Construction is dated to 1893 in the official listing, and the building was completed and opened in 1894. It is built in red sandstone in the Renaissance Revival style, and the cost is recorded as about £5,000. A clock projection was added to the facade in 1901. Today the clock and the warm colour of the stone make the front of the building easy to spot among the other buildings along High Street.

What was inside?

The original Institute was planned as a multi-purpose community centre. Its rooms included an assembly hall, a library, a gymnasium and a museum. Such institutes were a common way for wealthy industrial families in Victorian Britain to provide education and healthy leisure for local people, and this one served Penicuik in that role.

How has the building been used since?

During both World Wars the building housed soldiers from nearby Glencorse Barracks. In 1959 the trustees sold it to Penicuik Burgh Council. After treatment for dry rot it reopened in 1963 as the Town Hall. Its role as a seat of local government ended when Midlothian District Council was formed in 1975, but it has remained a public venue for the community.

Is the building protected?

Yes. The Cowan Institute is a Category C listed building, designated on 9 March 2000. The listing attributes the design to Campbell Douglas and Morrison.

What has happened in recent years?

A community development trust for Penicuik was formed in 2005 with the aim of keeping the building in use. Later work included restoration of the sandstone exterior, carried out by Midlothian Council's project team and contractors. The building has also taken part in Doors Open Days events in the Midlothian area.

Frequently asked questions

Is it still called the Cowan Institute? The original name is still widely used, and the official listing uses it, while the everyday name is Penicuik Town Hall.

When was it built? The listing dates the construction to 1893; the building was completed in 1894.

Who designed it? The architect Campbell Douglas, commissioned by Charles Cowan.

Where is it? At 33 High Street, in the centre of Penicuik, Midlothian.