From prehistoric times to the present day, artefacts, documents and photographs illustrate the history of Dollar. A brief description of some of what may be seen is given below.
A Neolithic carved stone ball and local finds from Bronze Age burials on loan from the National Museums of Scotland give an insight into early inhabitants of the Hillfoots. Aerial photographs and maps show where the archaeological finds were made.
Later inhabitants of Dollar lived in the shadow of Castle Gloum, renamed Castle Campbell, the lowland dwelling of the Earls of Argyll.
The Castle was burnt in 1654, and the ruin was sold along with the local Campbell lands around 1800. Early travellers and artists have left evidence of how the castle and village looked at this time, and these may be seen in the museum.
The small village with a woollen mill and a bleachfield changed after local boy John McNabb left a fortune which was used to found Dollar Academy in 1818. Dollar grew as the New Town was built to accommodate teachers, boarders and the families who moved to Dollar to take advantage of the low fees paid by residents of the village. Dollar Academy has gone on to become one of the top independent schools in Scotland.
The Old Kirk of 1775 became too small to accommodate the congregation and in 1842 the New Church was built. The Disruption led to the building of the Free Church (the West Church, now private housing) and the 19th century also saw the building of the U.P. Church (now the East Burnside Hall) and the Episcopal Church, St James the Great.
By the end of the 19th century Dollar had its own Town Council, and in 1913 the honour of having the first Lady Provost in Scotland: Lavinia Malcolm. Dollar Town Council disappeared with local government reorganisation in 1976, but a record of all the Provosts, together with photographs and other items are on display in the museum.
The railway came to Dollar in 1869. From the 1950s until closure to passengers in 1964, Peter Wilson attempted to document all aspects of the Devon Valley Railway. He took photographs of the stations from Alloa to Kinross and recorded many bridges, signals, gradient signs, etc. He also collected timetables, tickets and leaflets. We have built on his collection and some interesting donations are on display.
With generous donations from Dollar people, we have been able to furnish our Granny's Kitchen with an array of household items from washing dollies and wooden pulleys to butter pats and flat irons. Children will be particularly interested to see how a Dollar kitchen might have looked at the end of the 19th century.
Our opening exhibition is Old Town / New Town, which looks at the growth of the New Town of Dollar from its birth around 1800 and recalls how life was in the Old Town, using maps, photographs, reminiscences and items used in old cottages. We also take a special look at a novel about an umbrella maker's daughter set in Dollar in 1832.
Growth of Dollar
The exhibition features maps from 1793 to 1901. This 1819 map shows Dollar New Town beginning to develop, the new toll road from Stirling to Kinross is complete and Dollar Academy (Institution) is being built. Over the next century the focus of Dollar moved from the Old Town to the New Town.
We also look at feu charters and building dates for houses in the Conservation Area, with the intention of building a complete record of its development.
Life in the Old Town
The Old Town was a lively community although the houses were overcrowded and facilities were poor. Much of the Old Town has now been demolished and replaced with modern housing, for example Carbo, a street which was built around 1820 for local miners.
Reminiscences and photos bring this past community to life. One display illustrates the history of a 200-year-old cottage, its occupants and contents.
Another angle on the past is a novel set in 1832 Dollar written by local author Janet Caird. The Umbrella Maker's Daughter features a poetess who comes to live in Dollar. Her experiences are illustrated by modern photographs.
Some valuation rolls, censuses and other records are available for visitors to study.
Page updated 4 April 2008