[5] After the tollbooth became dilapidated, the burgh council and the sheriff court relocated to a new courthouse designed by James Gillespie Graham in the neoclassical style on the east side of Church Street in 1826.

[8][9][10] It was designed by Robert Grieve Melvin and William Leiper in the Gothic Revival style, built in ashlar stone and completed in two stages: the burgh hall in January 1866 and the academy in August 1866.

[6] The whole building then became a dedicated events venue: concert performers included the contralto singer, Kathleen Ferrier, who made an appearance on 3 April 1945.

[13] After being badly damaged in a fire in 1976,[3] the burgh hall was briefly used as the education offices of the South of Scotland Electricity Board before it then fell vacant and began deteriorating.

[8] After funding was secured from various public bodies including Historic Environment Scotland in October 2015,[14] Lendlease commenced a programme of restoration works to a scheme by Keppie Design.