Old Town Hall, Wakefield
| Old Town Hall | |
|---|---|
 The building, in 2013 | |
| Location | Wakefield, West Yorkshire |
| Coordinates | 53°41′00″N 1°30′03″W / 53.6833°N 1.5007°W |
| Built | 1800 |
| Architectural style(s) | Neoclassical style |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Designated | 30 March 1971 |
| Reference no. | 1259842 |
  Location of Old Town Hall in West Yorkshire | |
Wakefield Old Town Hall, also known as No. 5 Crown Court, is a historic building in the city centre of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, in England. After operating as a town hall from 1861 to 1880, it served as an organ factory and then as commercial offices, before being adapted for residential use.
History
The building lies on Crown Court.[1] It was designed in the neoclassical style and constructed between 1798 and 1800 as the New Assembly Rooms, replacing rooms in the White Hart Inn on Kirkgate.[2] In 1803, the Wakefield Star, the town's first newspaper, was founded in and published from the building. The Assembly Rooms closed in about 1821, and from 1845 the building served as the headquarters of the Wakefield Church Institution.[3] This moved into purpose-built premises in 1858, and from 1861, the building housed the council chambers.[4] The council moved into a new Wakefield Town Hall in 1880.[5]
The old town hall then became an organ building factory, operated by Alfred Kirkland, in 1893.[6] Kirkland continued designing and manufacturing organs there,[7][8][9] until the end of the First World War when he relocated to Holloway Road in London.[10] The building was then adapted for commercial use as offices.[6] A variety of commercial tenants were subsequently accommodated including, since the early 21st century, a recruitment business operating in the accounting sector.[11] A piece of public art, sculpted by Oliver Barratt, cast in bronze and known as "seams", was unveiled outside the building in July 2007.[12] Since 2018, the building has largely been in residential use.[13]
Architecture
The building is two storeys high, with a basement. It is seven bays wide, and is built of brick, faced with
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-300-22468-9.
- ^ Taylor, Thomas (1886). The History of Wakefield, in the County of York The Rectory Manor, with Biographical and Other Notices of Some of the Persons Connected Therewith. W. H. Milnes. p. 247.
- ^ "Wakefield Church Institution". Open Plaques. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ "Guide to Selected Historical Buildings in Wakefield". Wakefield Historical Society. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ISBN 9781445646930.
- ^ ISBN 978-1445659077.
- ^ "Alfred Kirkland". Biographical Dictionary of the Organ. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ISBN 978-0415941747.
- ISBN 978-0521663649.
- ^ Stinson, Iain (1 August 2018). "The Sonus Paradisi William Hill Sample Set – Some details about the real organ" (PDF). Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ "Bagnall Hopkins Recruitment". Companies House. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ "Seams". Oliver Barratt. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ISBN 978-1398113503.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Old Town Hall, 16 King Street (1259842)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 November 2023.