Stratford Town Hall

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Stratford Town Hall

Essex

HE1080991 Old Town Hall Stratford (1).jpg
Stratford Town Hall
Type: Former town hall
Location
Grid reference: TQ38938430
Location: 51°32’26"N, 0°0’7"E
Town: Stratford
History
Address: Broadway
Built 1869
By: John Giles and Lewis Angell
Former town hall
Italianate
Information

Stratford Town Hall is a fine, Victorian town hall on the Broadway in Stratford in Essex. It served as the town hall for Stratford and then West Ham until 1965, and since then has seen a variety of uses.

The town hall is a Grade II listed building.[1]

History

In the mid-19th century the parish vestry meetings for Stratford had met at Rokeby House in Broadway.[2][3] The new building, which was designed by John Giles and Lewis Angell in the Italianate style was completed in 1869.[1] The design involved a tower which was 100 feet high.[4] The building was enlarged to accommodate a courthouse and cells in 1881.[4]

The building was established as the council offices for the local board of health and went on to serve as the headquarters of the new 'Municipal Borough of West Ham' in 1886,[5][6] which later became the 'County Borough of West Ham' from 1889.[2]

In 1965, West Ham Council was abolished and the Town Hall ceased to be the seat of local government.

After a major fire in the building in June 1982, which caused considerable damage, the building was repaired and refurbished. It was re-opened by The Queen as a conference centre in July 1986.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 National Heritage List 1080991: Education Offices (Grade II listing)
  2. 2.0 2.1 'London's Town Halls' (Historic England), page 160
  3. A History of the County of Essex - Volume 6 pp 50-57: West Ham: Domestic buildings (Victoria County History)
  4. 4.0 4.1 "1869 – Public Office & Vestry Hall, Stratford, London". http://archiseek.com/2013/1867-public-offices-and-vestry-hall-stratford/. Retrieved 25 October 2014. 
  5. London Gazette: no. 25596, p. 2797–2798, 11 June 1886.
  6. "The Incorporation Of West Ham". The Times: p. 6. 23 June 1886.