Oxford Town Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oxford Town Hall |
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View from the southwest
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| General information | |
| Type | Town hall, museum, former library and police station |
| Architectural style | Jacobethan |
| Classification | |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Designated: | 12 January 1954 |
| Reference #: | 1047153 |
| Location | St Aldate's, Oxford |
| Coordinates | 51°45′06″N 1°15′25″W / 51.7516°N 1.2569°W |
| Construction started | 1893 |
| Completed | 1897 |
| Renovated | Main Hall repainted in 2015 |
| Cost | £100,000 |
| Owner | Oxford City Council |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Henry Hare |
Oxford Town Hall is a public building on the street called St Aldate's in central Oxford, England. It is both the seat of Oxford City Council and a venue for public meetings, entertainment and other events. It also includes the Museum of Oxford. Although Oxford is a city with its own charter, the building is referred to as the "Town Hall". It is Oxford's third seat of government to have stood on the same site. The present building, completed in 1897, is Grade II* listed.
History
Oxford's Guildhall was built on the site in 1292. It was replaced by the first Town Hall in 1752, designed by Isaac Ware. In 1891, an architectural design competition was held for a new building on the same site. The local architect Henry Hare won with a Jacobethan design. The 1752 building was demolished in 1893 and the current building was completed in 1897.
The new building originally housed the public library and police station as well as the city council. During the First World War, the building was converted into the Town Hall section of the 3rd Southern General Hospital. From 1916, it specialised in treating soldiers suffering from malaria. In 1936 Oxford City Police moved to a new police station further down St Aldate's. The central public library is now in the Westgate Centre in Queen Street.
