Motherwell Town Hall

In the mid to late 19th century, the Victoria Theatre in Watson Street performed the functions of town hall in Motherwell.[2] After deciding that this arrangement was inadequate for their needs, civic leaders decided to recommend the procurement of a purpose-built town hall: after a local referendum was arranged in October 1885, rate-payers voted overwhelmingly in favour of the proposal.[3] The site selected on the corner of Hamilton Road and Muir Street had previously been occupied by residential properties with a public house on the corner itself.[4]

The foundation stone for the new building was laid by the provost, Matthew Goodwin, with full masonic honours on 3 January 1887.[5] It was designed by John Bennie Wilson in the Queen Anne style,[6] built at a cost of £6,000[7] and was officially opened by the Duke of Hamilton on 5 December 1887.[5][8] A concert performance by the Glasgow Select Choir was held to celebrate the event.[5] The design involved an asymmetrical frontage with four bays facing Hamilton Road with the right hand bay containing a 120 foot (37 m) high five-stage clock tower with a dome;[7] the central section featured an arched doorway on the ground floor flanked by pilasters with a fanlight above; there was a stone balcony and a double window on the first floor flanked by pilasters with a gable above containing a tympanum and an oculus.[1] Internally, the principal room was a double-height public hall with seating capacity for 1,200 people in the centre of the building.[1][7] The horse-drawn fire engine was also based at the town hall.[9]

The local population continued to grow and, in January 1895, a public inquiry was held at the town hall to consider a proposal from the Parish of Dalziel, which at that time Motherwell formed part of, to annex parts of the parishes of Hamilton and Bothwell.[10] It was also used as a concert venue, hosting artists such as the rock band T. Rex in May 1970.[11]

The town hall continued to serve as the headquarters of the Burgh of Motherwell and Wishaw Council until it moved to Motherwell Civic Centre in December 1970.[12] It also continued to operate as a concert venue and was one of the recording locations for Live from Scotland Volume 2 by the folk group, The Corries, in 1975.[13] It subsequently became a leisure centre, operating for a while as a snooker hall known as "the Motherwell Town Snooker Club",[6] and, more recently, as a laser tag arena known as "the Zone".[14]

• Naismith, William (1 October 1899). History and Directory of Motherwell 1899-1900 (PDF).