Darvel old Co-operative Society Buildings

[goldie61]

I see the old Co-operative building in Darvel has been demolished, and there is a plan to create a meeting place and farmer’s market on the site.
This building was built in 1931 evidently, according to various Scottish sites concerned with heritage buildings, although they seem to mention only the 2 storey corner building on Main Street and Ranoldcoup road. Looking at older photographs, there is also a much grander 4 storey building also on Ranoldcoup Road. which has bay windows and a very fancy turret with cupola.

As some of my ancestors came from Darvel, I have been looking into this.
It turns out that the Darvel Co-operative Society was inaugurated in 1840 - and I found a newspaper cutting that states my 4x great grandfather was Chairman of the committee set up to start it!
It is evidently one of the very early Co-operatives in Ayrshire - pre-dating the one in Rochdale, near Manchester, in 1844, which is always hailed as the origin of the Co-operative movement.

Does anybody know if this 1931 building was built on the site of the original Co-operative from 1840? I can’t find any information about this original building.
Does anybody know when the 4 storey part on Ronaldcoup Road was knocked down? And when it was built? I don’t think it was 1931 along with the other building. There is an old photo on ayrshireroots.co.uk of Ranoldcoup Road which shows this building as “Co-operative Buildings’, but the buildings on the corner of the road are not those that have just been knocked down, which suggests this building was built first. Another old photo from about 1900(?) clearly shows this building behind Hastings Square, so pre-dating the other part by at least 30 years.

Any information gratefully received! Thank you

[GR2]

From "Ayrshire & Arran - an illustrated architectural guide" (RIAS 1992):

Co-operative Buildings, 1900,

George Sinclair

Competent encrusted Italian Renaissance by a little-known Glasgow architect, presently in a bad state of repair: the block at the corner, possibly by Cornelius Armour, brings a suave touch of 1930s classicism to the area: as throughout the Irvine Valley, the Co-op has the biggest buildings.

I see this is my 3,000th post! It should have been my 3,340th - that was our number with the Aberdeen co-op.

[goldie61]

Congratulations on your 3000th post GR2! 

Thanks for the info about the 4 storey building on Ranoldcoup road.
It certainly seems to have been built some time before the corner block on MAin street.
Do you have a copy of this book? I couldn't find a copy you can read on-line. I don't suppose there's a photo? 
I found George Sinclair in the Dictionary of Scottish architects. They tentatively give a date of 1900 too - don't seem to know for certain.

I wonder if these buildings were re-built on the site of the original store from 1840? It must have gone from strength to strength to build such a fancy building some 60 years later.
You'd think there would be some mention of when it was demolished somewhere.

[Forfarian]

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4027425

[GR2]

I'm afraid the book doesn't have a picture and I have quoted all it has to say about the co-op buildings.

I'm sure a history of Darvel has been published at some point. It might be worth looking in the newspapers or local directories for early references. There must be quite a bit of research published on the Co-operative movement in Scotland too.

[RJ_Paton]

Some more information about the 1931 building and it subsequent demolition can be found in the Buildings at Risk Register
https://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/details/914521

[loobylooayr]

Hi,

Not sure when the older building was demolished but would say it was fairly recently - maybe 10 years?
http://www.ayrshirehistory.com/darvel_street_views.html

The photos on above site look to be taken not that long ago when you look at the cars.

This photo- I believe is from the older building and has a date of 1880
 https://www.flickr.com/photos/trawets/2123759155/in/photostream/

Looby

[goldie61]

Thanks everybody for your replies. 
I'll keep digging.