Town Hall

 

 

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Town Hall

On 20th January 1866, a public meeting was held in the Field Park to discuss the erection of a new Public Hall in Lennoxtown. The proposal by Mr. William Partington to raise the money by subscription, and in 10 shilling shares, was adopted. The hall was duly built and opened by The Hon Mr Hanbury Lennox, who had gifted the land for the hall. This land adjoined the Royal Bank of Campsie (now houses at the start of Service Street). The total cost of the hall was £1,340, but, by the time the building was completed, the hall company were £600 in debt. Private theatrical evenings and concerts were staged to helped them clear the debt. 

The hall, which included a library and reading room, probably opened in 1868. It was taken over and renovated by the District Council in the mid 1950s, and is now run by East Dunbartonshire Council. The hall is now known as Campsie Memorial Hall. (One report states the hall was built in 1840. This is unverified)

In the 1830s, the places available for public meetings, lectures etc., were very limited, and it was not until the the erection of the various schools and the Town Hall, that any substantial venues were available. Currently, in 2006, there are several halls which are available for villagers, namely, the Town Hall, St Machan's Hall, Rechabite Hall, Glazertbank Hotel, and the Haughhead Hall, which residents of Haughhead are justifiably proud of maintaining unaided. 

 

Campsie Memorial Hall.jpg (56716 bytes)

Meeting Halls

In 1838, the only places available for public meetings, lectures etc., were very small, until the erection of the various schools, but with the erection of the fine new Town Hall in 1866, the village then had a hall capable of  accommodating some 600 people. The halls in the village at present are: Town Hall, St Machans' Hall, Masonic Hall, Church Hall as well as school halls. The function rooms of the local Hotel, The Glazertbank, are used for meetings from time to time.

Public Square

On 24th September, a Saturday afternoon in 1888, Mrs. Peareth Lennox, opened the Public Square in Lennoxtown. The square situated between the Public Hall and the Lennoxmill Works, was laid out under the supervision of the Parish Council. The ground had been gifted by Mrs. Lennox, and it was named 'Lennox Square' in her honour.

At the opening of the square, Br Braidwood P.D.C.R. of Glasgow, on behalf of the "Glazertbank" Tent of Rechabite's, presented a fountain to the custody of the parish council. 

Br Braidwood suggested that it might not be out of place for him to say a word about the Society with which he was associated.

The Independent Order of Rechabite's was not a new thing. It was some 60 years old in this country (founded 1838), but dated way back to Biblical times, and he would just refer them to the 35th Chapter of Jeremiah, where they would find the history of the Rechabite's. He hoped the Rechabite's in Lennoxtown would be as steadfast as those of ancient days.

He did not know of anything they could have presented to the village which would be more acceptable than a fountain since, "no living being on the face of the earth could survive without water."

Before ending his speech, the Bro offered some advice to local girls, encouraging them to be more like young ladies in American who were known to say, "the lips that touch wine, will never touch mine," and that they should be content with water from the very beautiful fountain.

Telephones

On August 17th 1904, representatives of the National Telephone company, visited Lennoxtown to consider the feasibility of installing a telephone exchange, and by 31st of the month, permission had been granted to bring Lennoxtown into the 'Glasgow speaking area' of Scotland.

 Campsie Parish Council agreed to have telephone poles erected in Lennox Square on September 14th. By the 28th of the month, permission had also been granted to erect poles between Milton-of-Campsie and Torrance. However, although it was agreed to place poles between Milton-of-Campsie and Lennoxtown, poles were not allowed on both sides of the road. After all the conditions had been met, and agreements reached, the telephone was finally introduced to Lennoxtown, on February 1st 1905.

 Some twenty years later, on September 9th, 1925, a telephone box was installed in Lennox Square.

 

 

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