Tunstall Town Hall

The first town hall in Tunstall was a small neoclassical style town hall in the middle of Tower Square which was completed in 1816.{{cite web|url=http://www.thepotteries.org/buildings/th_tunstall1.htm |title= First Town Hall, Tunstall|publisher=The Potteries| access-date=13 June 2021}}{{cite web|title= 'Tunstall', in A History of the County of Stafford|volume=8|first=J. G.|last= Jenkins |location=London|year= 1963|pages= 81–104|publisher= British History Online |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/staffs/vol8/pp81-104 |access-date= 13 June 2021}}{{efn|The first town hall was demolished in 1892: it was replaced by a clock tower, which was paid for by public subscription, erected to commemorate the life of a locally-born naval officer, Admiral Smith Child, and completed in 1893.{{cite web|url=https://potteries.org.uk/sites/default/files/Tower_Square_CA_Map.pdf |title=Tower Square Conservation Area|year=2007|publisher=The Potteries| access-date=13 June 2021}}{{NHLE|desc= Clock Tower and Attached Railings|num= 1195852| access-date=13 June 2021}}}} After the first town hall became inadequate, the local board of health decided to procure a more substantial structure: the site chosen was the western end of the market hall, which had itself been designed by George Thomas Robinson in the neoclassical style and completed in 1855.{{NHLE|desc=Tunstall Market|num= 1195825| access-date=13 June 2021}}{{cite web|url= https://www.archiseek.com/2009/1884-town-hall-tunstall-staffordshire/ |title=1884: Tunstall Town Hall|date=2 November 2009 |publisher=Archiseek| access-date=13 June 2021}} The market hall had to be reduced in size to accommodate the new town hall.

The new building was designed by Absalom Wood in the Renaissance style, built in red brick with terracotta dressings at a cost of £14,000{{cite news|url=http://www.thepotteries.org/photo_wk/100.htm|title=Business Reference Guide to The Potteries, Newcastle & District|year=1907 |newspaper=Staffordshire Sentinel |access-date= 13 June 2021}} and completed in 1885.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=08SJUdI3uFEC&pg=PA37 |title=Staffordshire|page=37|first=Nikolaus|last=Pevsner|year=2002|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn= 978-0300096460 }} The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with nine bays facing onto the High Street; the central section of five bays, which slightly projected forward, featured arched openings on the ground floor, to allow access to shops and to the market hall, the central opening being flanked by brackets supporting a balcony. There were round headed windows on the first floor flanked by Corinthian order pilasters supporting an entablature bearing the inscription "Peace, Happiness, Truth, Justice AD MDCCCLXXXV" and a heavily modillioned cornice. The central bay featured an attic floor with an oculus containing a Star of David flanked by pilasters supporting an open pediment; the outer bays in the central section were also pedimented. Internally, the principal rooms were the central hall, the courtroom and the council chamber.

Following significant population growth, largely associated with ceramic production, Tunstall became an urban district with the new town hall as its headquarters in 1894.{{cite web|url= https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10026945#tab02 |title=Tunstall UD|publisher=Vision of Britain| access-date=13 June 2021}} The building continued to serve in that capacity into the early 20th century but ceased to be the local seat of government when the Federation of Stoke-on-Trent was formed in March 1910.{{Cite news |title=Local Government Provisional Order (No. 3) Confirmation Act 1908 |periodical=Acts of the Parliaments of the United Kingdom |volume=Part 134 (1908) |issue=c.clxiv |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/chron-tables/local/chron134 |access-date=5 August 2020}} The ground floor of the building continued to be used for retail purposes while the first floor was used as an events venue: performers included the punk rock band, Crass, in April 1982{{cite web|url= https://www.concertarchives.org/venues/tunstall-town-hall-644e302c-50e0-4d04-b42f-4d58540ac935 |title= Tunstall Town Hall's Concert History|publisher=Concert Archives| access-date=13 June 2021}} and the punk rock band, Discharge, in July 1983.{{cite web|url=https://punkygibbon.co.uk/bands/d/discharge_live3.html|title=Discharge - Live The Nightmare Continues...|publisher=Punky Gibbon| access-date=13 June 2021}} However, the building was neglected and fell into a state of serious state of disrepair in the 1990s.{{cite web|url= http://www.thepotteries.org/another/006.htm |title= A Town's Shame|publisher=The Potteries|year=2012| first=Dave |last=Proudlove| access-date=13 June 2021}}

An extensive programme of restoration works, being undertaken by G. F. Tomlinson at a cost of £3.8 million, commenced in June 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/historic-town-hall-set-major-1940384|title=Historic town hall set for major £3.8m overhaul... and it will soon have a library and children's centre inside|date=27 September 2018|newspaper=Stoke Sentinel| access-date=13 June 2021}}{{cite web|url= https://www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/midlands-contractor-continues-work-restore-18845046|title= Midlands contractor continues work to restore historic buildings in Stoke-on-Trent|date=1 September 2020|newspaper=Business Live| access-date=13 June 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/gf-tomlinson-restores-stoke-halls |title=G. F. Tomlinson restores Stoke halls|date=15 September 2020|newspaper=Construction Index| access-date=13 June 2021}} The works were intended to enable the building to host the local library, a children's centre and a local community hub.{{cite news|url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/gallery/sneak-peek-inside-tunstall-town-2673903 |title= A sneak peek inside Tunstall Town Hall: 37 fascinating pictures before its renovation|date=23 March 2019|newspaper =Stoke Sentinel| access-date=13 June 2021}}

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Category:Government buildings completed in 1885

Category:City and town halls in Staffordshire

Category:Buildings and structures in Stoke-on-Trent

Category:Grade II listed buildings in Staffordshire