Crocketford Village Hall

It has not been possible so far to find an exact date for the building of the Hall, but Rev. David Frew, writing in 1909 in his History of the Parish of Urr, states that in Crocketford “The condition of things, as it appeared in 1825, was prosperous and thriving;………….The schoolmaster attended to the education of the young…….”. He also states that “though not possessed of a church of its own,…….. Crocketford has not been without a fairly regular supply of religious ordinances, a preaching station upon undenominational lines having been established in the village school, so far back as 1839”. The Anderson Memorial Hall or Crocketford Village Hall

The school, which had been built thanks to the generosity of a local landowner and benefactor, remained in use until 1912, when a new one was built and in 1922, according to an article in The Weekly Scotsman, Mr. W.J. Hay, John Knox’s House, Edinburgh, states “Lovers of ‘ Bairnies Cuddle Doon’ and the other delightful poems of Alexander Anderson, as well as those who had the privilege of meeting him during his lifetime will be glad to learn that the old schoolhouse in Crocketford which he attended as a boy has been purchased for the purpose of providing a public hall for the villagers. . . Acting on a suggestion of mine, the Trustees have decided to make the building a Memorial of its quondam pupil, who worked his way from its simple teachings to be acting librarian at the University of Edinburgh”.

More information about Alexander Anderson can be found on the Crocketford Community Initiative website, there is a link provided on my links page please take time to visit and learn more.