Building record MAB3621 - MECHANICS INSTITUTE, HIGH STREET, FORRES

Town Hall, built by the freemasons and extended by Archibald Simpson, 1829, when it became the Town Hall.

Town Hall, built by the freemasons and extended by Archibald Simpson, 1829, when it became the Town Hall. It was sold to the Mechanics Institute in 1855 and was re-fronted by John Forrest in 1901 to keep pace with the increasing grandeur of the town. Forrest added classical columns with polished granite shafts. It is in classical style, constructed of ashlar stone, and comprises 2 storeys and 3 bays with the centre slightly advanced and pedimented. At the ground floor, the central bay containing the entrance is framed by coupled Roman Doric columns and there are coupled Roman Doric pilasters at the ends, all bearing full entablature. The ground floor openings are round-arched and keyblocked. At the first floor the style is Ionic order, with a Venetian window at the centre, and consoled pedimented windows at the outer bays. The interior was remodelled in 1899-1901 but retained some original features. There is a simple entrance hall leading to a central top-lit foyer with surviving 1827-29 detailing. The walls have shallow pilasters with composite capitals, and paired Ionic fluted columns at the east (a former screen). The ceiling is coffered. The Mechanics Institute was used as a Red Cross hospital during World War I, the first wounded arriving on 11 November 1914. A plaque on the wall dated April 1919 records its role as an auxiliary hospital during the Great War and the thanks to the Scottish Branch of the Red cross Society to the generous donors. In the entrance hall is a brass plaque commemorating the services rendered by the Forres and District Red Cross detachments and VAD hospital staff during the Great War. It lists nurses who served in the Forres Red Cross Auxiliary Hospital between 4th November 1914 and 27 March 1919, marking those who were connected with the hospital during the whole period. Photographic recording was carried out in 2023 ahead of proposed internal alterations.

MCKEAN, C, 1987, MORAY: AN ILLUSTRATED ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE, p.69 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1142.

AOC ARCHAEOLOGY, 2023, FORRES TOWN HALL, HIGH STREET, FORRES, MORAY: HISTORIC BUILDING RECORDING WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB8451.

Apr 3 2015 , AAS-GR-15-04-254 - 256, AAS-GR-15-04-254 - 256 (Ground Photograph). SAB35811.

Jul 27 2023 , 20/00888/APP, 20/00888/APP (Ground Photograph). SAB36608.

Sep 27 2022 , PUB-GR-22-09-039 - 043, PUB-GR-22-09-039 - 043 (Ground Photograph). SAB36186.

Record last edited

Nov 20 2023 12:59PM