[2] After significant population growth, largely associated with the manufacturing industries, Barrhead became a police burgh in 1894.

[3] In this context, the new civic leaders decided to procure municipal offices for the burgh: the site they selected in Main Street was owned by Zechariah John Heys who chose to donate it to the town.

[7] It was designed by Ninian MacWhannell and John Rogerson in the Renaissance style, built in rubble masonry by the local contracting firm, Houston and Young, and was officially opened on 15 April 1904.

[8][9] The design of the burgh court hall involved an asymmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto Main Street; the left hand bay featured an oriel window with a stepped gable above, while the right hand bay featured a circular tower with a doorway flanked by pilasters supporting an entablature on the ground floor: there was a rectangular balcony with a window in the next stage and a semi-circular balcony with a window flanked by clock faces in the final stage.

[2] Internally, the principal rooms in the building were the council chamber and the burgh treasurer's office.