Cargenbridge

Cargenbridge is referred to as a 'village' in 1848 in the entry for 'Cargen Bridge Smithy' in the Ordnance Survey Name Book.^[6] In 1962, it is recorded that the population quadrupled following the building of 36 new local authority houses.^{[7]: 307–308}

Despite being close to Dumfries, Cargenbridge remained in Kirkcudbrightshire when part of Troqueer parish was taken into Dumfriesshire as part of the amalgamation of the burghs of Dumfries and Maxwelltown. The extension of the boundaries of the county of Dumfriesshire over the River Nith did not extend as far as Cargenbridge.^[7]: 305

Curriestanes cursus, a large Neolithic monument now only visible as a crop mark, sits just above the village.^[8] It is, along with Pict's Knowe, one of two scheduled monuments in Troqueer parish.^[9]

The earliest school in the vicinity of Cargenbridge was Doweel school, which opened at the beginning of the eighteenth century. The Rev. William Somervell (died 1698), minister of Troqueer parish, left money to found the school. This became Drumsleet, a two-teacher school. Both Drumsleet and the single-teacher Whinnyhill school were made redundant in 1959 when Cargenbridge secondary and primary school opened. The building, described in 1962 as a "very modern school", was opened in October by the Earl of Galloway.^[10]: 307 It was designed by Eric W. Hall.^[11]: 160 The former Drumsleet school became a community centre.^[7]: 308 In 1962 the primary school had three teachers and 80 pupils and the secondary school had 14 teachers and 144 pupils.^[10]: 307 The secondary school was closed between September 1982 and September 1984.^[12] The current Cargenbridge Primary School building was opened in 2009.^[13]: 6