Civic Centre, Glasgow Street 23                                                                                                               10 August 2013

The old part of the Civic Centre was built by Duncan Graham from the north of Scotland and was known as Graham's Castle. During the census of 1841, it was occupied by Charlotte Hall, a thirty-five year old woman of independent means, Elizabeth Hall aged ten years, Jane Hall aged nine years, Emily Hall aged four years and Charles Hall aged eighteen months. From 1893, it was owned by Archibald Russell and his heirs. In 1920, it was bought by the Ardrossan Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company Limited who refurbished it as Castlecraigs Recreation Club which opened on 26 February 1921. In 1927, the Masons bought the building and let out the ancillary rooms and tennis courts. During the second world war between 1939 and 1945, the Navy requisitioned Castlecraigs as a barracks. It was subsequently managed by Ardrossan Town Council and known as the Town Hall. In the 1970s, North Ayrshire Council took over the building and called it the Civic Centre. Between February and April 2006, external restoration work was carried out. In July 2007, the building was closed for internal refurbishment and reopened in early 2008. If you can provide more details of the history of the building or more accurate dates, please contact WebsiteAuthor@ArdrossanPhotographs.net.

Click here to read a report on the opening of the Castlecraigs Recreation Club.

As part of North Ayrshire Council's Heritage Trails, a Blue Plaque to Peter Nicholson was installed in late July 2013.

The Civic Centre is also featured in Christmas Crib and Provost's Lampost.