Halifax Town Hall

Halifax Town Hall
General information
Architectural style	Classical style
Town or city	Halifax
Country	England
Construction started	1861
Completed	1863
Cost	£50,126
Client	Halifax Council
Technical details
Structural system	Sandstone
Design and construction
Architect	Charles Barry Edward Middleton Barry

Halifax Town Hall is a grade II* listed, 19th century town hall in the English town of Halifax, West Yorkshire. It is notable for its design and interiors by Charles Barry and his son, Edward Middleton Barry, and for its sculptures by John Thomas.

The Mayor and corporation first proposed that they build a new town hall in 1847. They suggested it again in 1853 after the town had become a borough five years earlier but they still had no central offices. They proposed it again in 1856. The later proposals were prompted by the 1853 Improvement Act, which allowed the borough to borrow £15,000 to build a town hall, courthouse and police station. The 1856 proposal was also prompted by John Crossley, who was at that time developing Princess Street and Crossley Street, using the architects Lockwood and Mawson who later designed Bradford City Hall. This may explain why the town hall blends in with several Crossley Street buildings, which are now listed as a group.

The council, Edward Akroyd and John Crossley requested that Charles Barry judge the design entries; he disliked all three entries and was asked in turn to submit his own design. His design was accepted, but he died in 1860. His son, Edward Middleton Barry, completed the design which was erected on a 148 x 90 ft plot on John Crossley's land. The foundation stone was laid in 1861. Whiteley Brothers were the builders. It was listed on 31 July 1963.

358 trains brought 70,000 people, and thousands more walked to attend a two-day session of openings and visits in Halifax by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, on 3 and 4 August 1863. There was a grand procession to the town hall on 4 August, through decorated streets. This was followed by a service in the Piece Hall at which thousands of children sang hymns while 870 police controlled the crowd. Perhaps Victoria herself might have opened the town hall, but for her widowhood in 1861 and her subsequent retirement from public life. Edward was 22 years old, and had married the 18-year-old Princess Alexandra in March of that year, however by 4 August she was four months pregnant with the future Duke of Clarence, pleaded illness and did not attend the opening, to much public disappointment. It rained:

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