Dumfries, High Street, Midsteeple, Category A listed building in High Street, Dumfries, Scotland.
The Midsteeple on High Street is a four-story stone building topped with a tall tower and spire, constructed entirely of red sandstone blocks. The structure features external staircases and ornamental iron railings that add to its appearance, with the tower rising prominently above surrounding buildings.
Construction took place between 1705 and 1708 under mason-architect Tobias Bachop, who designed it to replace an earlier prison and administrative building. This new structure then served the town's governance needs for more than two centuries.
This building served as the civic heart where townspeople gathered for meetings and announcements about local affairs. Its prominent position on High Street made it a natural meeting point where residents could conduct business and stay informed about community matters.
The building sits right on the main street and is easy to reach on foot while exploring the town center. Plenty of pavement space allows you to step back and view the tower from different angles.
Poet Robert Burns lay in state inside the council chamber before his funeral in 1796, giving the building a lasting literary connection. The bells in the steeple were cast in 1708 by an Edinburgh craftsman and still bear their original inscriptions today.
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