[1] The first municipal building on the site was an 18th-century town house which was built on land acquired from Lord Cathcart.

[3] Lord Cathcart insisted that the local masonic lodge should be allowed to hold meetings in the building.

[5][6] Following significant population growth, largely associated with the shipbuilding industry, the burgh leaders decided in the late 1870s to procure new municipal buildings: after some debate, it was decided to acquire existing properties around the town hall, to demolish these properties and to wrap the new municipal buildings around the old town hall.

The ground floor was arcaded with the openings flanked with marble Corinthian order columns; the right hand section contained a round headed doorway flanked by two pairs of columns supporting an entablature and a pediment with the burgh coat of arms in the tympanum.

[13] Following completion of a major programme of restoration works to the ground floor of the complex to a design by BMJ Architects, a new customer contact centre was re-opened by Queen Elizabeth II in July 2012.