Hulme Town Hall, Stretford Road, Hulme

HULME. - On Wednesday week, the foundation‑stone of the Town Hall, Hulme, was laid by the Mayor of Manchester. The site of the intended building is in a vacant plot of land in Stretford-road, bounded by Clopton‑street, Trafford‑street, and Dale‑street. It will be in the Italian style of architecture, with a stone front. There will be a frontage of 94 feet to Stretford‑road; and the building will be 96 feet deep, and 65 feet high. On the ground floor there will be a spacious entrance hall, on either side of which will be committee-rooms, and offices for the collectors of township and highway rates, and other officials. There will be two wings to the building; the right wing will be used as a branch of the free library, and the left wing as offices for the overseers. From the entrance hall, a grand staircase will lead to the principal hall, which will be 90 feet by 45 feet, and 40 feet, high. The room will be capable of holding more than 2,000 persons, and will be very handsomely decorated. Mr J G Lynde, the city surveyor, is the architect. [Building News 26 December 1862 page 500]

HULME TOWN HALL - The Hulme Town Hall, of which a view appears in this number, is a handsome stone building, in the Italian style of architecture, situated in Stretford Road, Hulme, Manchester.   It was erected in 1865, from designs of Mr J. G. Lynde, then City Surveyor of Manchester. One wing of the building is used as offices for the overseers and for other official purposes, and the Hulme branch of the Manchester Public Free Libraries is accommodated in the other wing.  The Hulme Branch Library was opened on June 15th, 1866, and is one of the best equipped branches in the district, having a large and varied collection of books, to which additions are constantly being made. The building also contains a fine room which is much used for concerts, entertainments, bazaars, and public meetings. This room, which measures 90 feet by 45 feet, is by far the largest in any of the district halls, and has seating accommodation for 850 persons. [Manchester Faces & Places June 1895. p 139]

THE NEW TOWN HALL IN HULME – Yesterday the new Town Hall in Stretford Road, for the township of Hulme, was opened and the occasion was celebrated by a public dinner. ....  The building is in the Italian style of architecture; the principal front in Stretford Road is 184 feet in length. The design comprises a centre and two wings, the central portion, 94 feet in length and 66 feet high, being appropriated for Hulme Town Hall and township offices. The west wing 45 feet in length and 50 feet high (now in course of erection) is appropriated to a Branch Free Library, and the east wing, also 45 feet in length and 50 feet high (not yet commenced) will be appropriated to the Overseers’ offices. The central building comprises on the ground floor, the township offices, committee room, fire-proof room, and surveyor’s department, together with a public weighing machine and office at the back in Dale Street. In the basement are a spacious kitchen and offices, with serving room and hoist to the upper floors, as well as workshops and other conveniences connected with the township business. The principal floor is approached from an entrance in the centre of the principal front of the building by a vestibule and grand staircase, lighted by a stained glass window, bearing the royal arms in a central compartment at the top, and the arms of the duchy of Lancaster, the hundred of Salford, the city of Manchester, and the township of Hulme in the four corners, the central divisions having emblematic figures of Industry Commerce, Peace and Plenty. The hall is paved with encaustic tiles. On the principal floor is the public room 90 feet long, 45 feet wide and 38 feet high; it is lighted by day by seven windows in the principal front, and by night by three sun-lights, suspended from the ceiling. In connection with this room is a refreshment or supper room 35 feet long by 22 feet wide and 18 feet high, with dressing and retiring room in connection with it. The building has been designed by, and erected under the direction of Mr Lynde, the city surveyor, and has been executed under the superintendence of Mr Samuel Taylor, the clerk of the works. The cost of the central portion of the building has been about £12,000.[ Manchester Guardian 11 January 1865 page 3]

HULME - On Tuesday, a new town hall was opened in Stretford-road, Hulme. The style of the building is Italian. The principal front is 184 feet in length. The design comprises a centre and two wings, the central portion 94ft. in length and 66 feet high, being appropriated for the Hulme Town Hall and township offices. The west wing, 45 feet in length and 5 feet high (now in course of erection), is appropriated to a Branch Free Library, and that the east wing, also 45 feet in length and 50 feet high (not yet commenced), will be appropriated to the overseer's offices. The hall is paved with encaustic tiles. On the principal floor is the public room, 90 feet long, 45feet wide, and 38 feet high. The building has been designed and erected under the direction of Mr. Lynde, the city surveyor, and has been executed under the superintendence of Mr. Samuel Taylor, the clerk of the works. The cost of the central portion of the building has been about £12,000, [Building News 20 January 1865 page 51]

HULME: The completion of the Town-hall for the township of Hulme has been celebrated by a public dinner. The building, designed by and erected under the direction of Mr. Lynde, the city surveyor, is in the Italian style of architecture. The completed façade, in Halifax stone, presents a rusticated basement, comprising the cellar, rock faced in Bolton stone, and the ground floor, smooth and polished. In the centre of the ground-floor is the principal entrance, a segment headed doorway. Carved modillions support a cornice which divides the ground-floor from the first-floor. This contains seven balustraded and semi-circular-headed windows: the arches, containing an enrichment of the laurel-leaf pattern, spring from a moulded entablature, resting upon Ionic columns. The three central windows are slightly recessed. The middle window is between two Corinthian columns; and these and four corresponding pilasters support a cornice, surmounted by a balustrade, having in the centre the city arms, and further relieved by four vases. In the frieze are carved floral festoons, and over the three central windows are heads of Oratory, Justice, and Mercy. The principal front, in the Stretford-road, is 184 ft. in length. The design comprises a centre and two wings; the central portion, 94 ft. in length and 66 ft. high, being appropriated for the Hulme Town-hall and town- ship offices. The west wing, 45 ft. in length and 50 ft. high (now in course of erection), is appropriated to a branch free library; and the east wing, also 45 ft. in length and 50 ft. high (not yet commenced), will be appropriated to the overseer's offices. The central building com- prises, on the ground-floor, the township offices, committee-room, fire-proof room, and surveyor's department, together with a public weighing- machine and office at the back, in Dale-street. In the basement are a spacious kitchen and offices, with serving-room, and hoist to the upper floors, as well as workshops and other conveniences connected with the township business. The principal floor is approached from the entrance in the centre of the principal front of the building by a vestibule and grand staircase, lighted by a stained glass window bearing the Royal arms in a central compartment at the top, and the arms of the Duchy of Lancaster, the hundred of Salford, the city of Manchester, and the township of Hulme, in the four corners, the central divisions having emblematical figures of Industry, Commerce, Peace, and Plenty. The hall is paved with encaustic tiles. On the principal floor is the public room, 90 ft. long, 45 ft. wide, and 38 ft. high. It is lighted by day by the seven windows in the principal front, and by night by three sunlights suspended from the ceiling. In connexion with this room is a refreshment or supper-room, 35 ft. long by 22 ft. wide, and 18 ft. high, with dressing and retiring-rooms. On the upper floor is another supper or committee-room, of the same dimensions, with dressing and retiring-room in connexion with it. The area of the large hall is double that of the Manchester Town-hall. The contractors were: for the excavation and drainage, Messrs. Naylor & Son; for the brickwork, Mr. Wm. Healey; for the masonry, Messrs. Ellis & Hinchliffe; for the joiners' work, Messrs. Clark & Jones; for the iron work, Messrs. Kitchen, Brown, & Co.; for the plumbing, &c., Messrs. Harrison & Son; for the plastering and painting, the late Mr. Hood; for the gas-fittings, Mr. Helsby; for the slating, Mr. Kirkley; for the stone carving, Mr. T. R. Williams; for the encaustic tiles, Messrs. Maw & Co.; for the stained glass window, the late Mr. Edmundson; and for the heating apparatus, Mr. Crowe. The whole has been executed under the superintendence of Mr. S. Taylor, the clerk of the works. The cost of the central portion of the building has been about £12,000. [Builder 21 January 1865 page 53]

Reference    Building News 26 December 1862 page 500
Reference    Manchester Guardian 11 January 1865 page 3
Reference    Building News 20 January 1865 page 51 - opening
Reference    Builder 21 January 1865 Page 53
Reference    Manchester Faces & Places June 1895. Page 139, Illustration Page 136