Prestonpans Town Hall

55°57′32″N 2°59′08″W / 55.9589°N 2.9855°W / 55.9589; -2.9855Built1897ArchitectPeter WhitecrossArchitectural style(s)Renaissance Revival styleOfficial nameHigh Street, Town HallDesignated20 March 1997Reference no.LB43945

Prestonpans Town Hall is a municipal building on the High Street of Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland. The building, which is largely used as a community events venue, is a Category C listed building.^[1]

Following significant population growth, largely associated with the fishing, salt panning and coal mining industries, Prestonpans became a burgh in 1862.^[2] In 1875, the new burgh leaders decided to procure a meeting place for civic events:^[3] The site they selected was open ground on the south side of the High Street.^[4] The new building, financed by public subscription, was designed by a local architect, Peter Whitecross, in Renaissance Revival style.^[5] It was built in red sandstone by Cooper and Son of Musselburgh, at a cost of £1,500, and was officially opened by Haddingtonshire member of parliament Richard Haldane on 9 August 1897.^[6] The guests at the ceremony included Colonel Thomas Cadell of the 2nd Bengal Fusiliers, who had been awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions as a junior officer during the Indian Rebellion.^[6]

The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto the High Street; the central bay featured an off-centre doorway with a stone architrave supporting a frieze inscribed with the words "Town Hall" and a segmental pediment with a coat of arms in the tympanum. The doorway was flanked by a sash window to the left and by a small window and, beyond that, by a sash window to the right.^[1] The gable above contained a three-light mullioned window with a small pediment.^[1] The building extended south along New Street with the first of the five bays containing a carved date stone.^[1] Internally, the principal room was the main hall.^[6]

In the mid-20th century the building was extended to the west, enclosing the lane that previously existed there, and to the south, establishing additional facilities.^[3] It was used exclusively as an events venue with the burgh council officers and their departments based in the Town Chambers.^[7]

In April, 2021, the Battle of Prestonpans (1745) Heritage Trust acquired a five-year lease over the building from the East Lothian Council with the objective of renovating it and preparing it as museum space, to commemorate the Battle of Prestonpans,^[8][9] a battle in which Jacobite forces, led by the Stuart exile and pretender to the throne, Charles Edward Stuart, defeated a government army under the command of Sir John Cope, just to the south of Prestonpans on 21 September 1745.^[10] Following an extensive programme of renovation works to the main hall, which was carried out in summer 2021, the building re-opened with a conference on Jacobite themes.^[11] It became the site of the Prestonpans Jacobite Museum in April 2023.^[12][13]

• List of listed buildings in Prestonpans, East Lothian