The Dennyloanhead Miners’ Welfare Institute was built immediately to the west of the Baptist Church on the main street at Longcroft. It was opened by Hugh Murnin MP for Stirling and Falkirk Burghs on Saturday 3 October 1925. The building was of the bungalow design, built of brick, and roughcast, and enclosed from the main road by an ornamental iron gate and railing. The interior of the building contained a meeting hall which would accommodate about 120 persons, a billiard room, with two large-sized billiard tables and accessories, a reading room and a games room. There was also a section fitted with three slipper baths and a shower spray. It was central heated, and electrically lighted. The architect for the institute was Colonel Arthur, Airdrie, and Messrs Shanks, Airdrie, contracted for the building.
The Dennyloanhead Miners’ Welfare Institute was built immediately to the west of the Baptist Church on the main street at Longcroft. It was opened by Hugh Murnin MP for Stirling and Falkirk Burghs on Saturday 3 October 1925. The building was of the bungalow design, built of brick, and roughcast, and enclosed from the main road by an ornamental iron gate and railing. The interior of the building contained a meeting hall which would accommodate about 120 persons, a billiard room, with two large-sized billiard tables and accessories, a reading room and a games room. There was also a section fitted with three slipper baths and a shower spray. It was central heated, and electrically lighted. The architect for the institute was Colonel Arthur, Airdrie, and Messrs Shanks, Airdrie, contracted for the building.
Unfortunately, this was a time of economic decline for the area and in 1929 it was arranged that unemployed people belonging to Haggs. Longcroft, and Dennyloanhead, could sign the unemployment register at Dennyloanhead Miners Welfare, instead of going to the Bonnybridge Labour Exchange. The Dennyloanhead Society appears to have been responsible for the nearby institute at Banknock and in 1930 it, together with the Central Welfare Committee, decided to offer the building there to the Education Authority. They did not buy it and so that property was sold off.
During the Second World War arrangements were made at the end of 1941 for the new mothers in the area to be issued with free cod-liver oil and fruit juice at Dennyloanhead Miners’ Welfare Institute. However, in December 1942 the “commodious building, known as the Dennyloanhead Miners’ Welfare Institute” was put up for sale (Falkirk Herald 19 December 1942, 2). After serving for a number of years as a carpet salesroom, the building was converted into the Cotton House Chinese Restaurant around 2010.
Falkirk Local History Society 