The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-11-19 00:00:00

goat ad istritt Aesms.

OPENING OF THE NEW TOWN HALL

Last Monday morning the streets of our good:old
own were Crowded with spectators to witness the
p o3ession which had been formed en the occasion
of the °posing of the new town hall which has been
so generously presented to the town by donors.
The inhabitants of the town had a good display of
flags and bunting hi order to make the place look
as festive as possible arid the streets presented a
gay and plea i g app.( aace. Although it was very
threatening jil the earlier part of the morning', tne
wean, r fortunately pr red favourable for the time
of the year, and the rain kept cff until the proceed-
ings had closed. Monday was certainly the mot
important day;the townspeople have ever experienced -
and the ( vent caused thousands to assemble in th‘
streets, hut we are pleased to say that notwithstand- -
lug such an enormous or wd everything passed off
very satisfactorily. We have now what has been
long needed in the town, and Ur: handsome hall
that stands in the place of the old Corn Exchange is
a ci elit to the people of Stourbridge and a building
of which we should ail be proud. Stourbridge
resembles many another town in that it has, for its
population and resources, a heavy public debt, and
much as the Town Commissioners de.dred to provide
themselves with a decent official home and their
constituents with a respectable place of public meet-
ing, the hideous skeleton of indebtedness stared
them perpetually in the face, and debarred them
from undertaking a work which would add materi-
ally to the already too heavy burdens of the town.
In their dilemma the Chairman of the Com-
missiolers (Mr. W. J. Tn ney) came to their relief,
and propounded a scheme for pres?nting a Town
Hall, to the people. offering to contribute on behalf
- of his firm, Messrs W. J. Limey and Co., 41,000.
This scheme and generous offer N'"were warmly
approved and supported by another wealthy and
libaral•hearted citizen, Mr. Charles Evers Swindell,
who promised to contribute another .41,000, and
with such a handsome start it is no matter for
wond.r that the scheme was readily taken up by
other persons, and ultimately carriedto a successful
issue. It is interesting to note that among the
mis2ellanec as • ttributione to come in was ofone £2O
from Mr. Jam .s Green, of St. Louis, in America,
who left Stourbridge thirty five years agO to seek
his fortunes in the new world. Mr. Henry Turney
happened to be calling on him there some time ago,
and his mention of the Town Hall scheme led Mr.
Green to show that his Interest in his old home
had not died out. A sum of between £4,000. :LA
£5,000. was needed to give effect to the building
scheme, and the committee which was formcd soon
saw their way to the complete realisation of what
was aimed at. The committee, it maybe mentioned.
consisted of Messrs. W. S. Turney(chairman). C. E.
Swindell, F. Evers, W. Webb, Edward Webb, G. K.
aarrreon, A. W. Worthington, W. Platt, T. D.
Thomas. G. Perry, J. Mathews, H. Turney, and H.
Watson Smith, the two latter gentlemen accepting
the duties of hon. secretaries. In due course the
plans of Mr. Th .mas Robinson, of Stourbridge, were
aecepted for the new building, and the oontract was
given to Mr J Guest. The idea of the originator and
workers in the scheme was to make the Town Hall
a permaneat memorial of the Jubilee of the reign of
Queen Victoria, and they could have chosen no
more fitting form in which to bear enduring evidence
of the loyalty, affection, and liberality of their
ancient community.
The new buildings, which are from the designs of
Mr. T Robinson, architect, of Stourimidge, are
Renai Banco in style, without, however, strict
adherence to that character of architecture. The
pediment over the main entrance has foliage scroll
work in which the rose, shamrock, rnd thistle are
introduced, and the date of the erection of the
structure-1887. Inside the porcb is an alabaster
tablet, subscribed for by the Stourbridge Corn
missioners and others, recording the fact that the
hall was erected by public subscription and presented
to the town of Stoarbridge in the Jubilee year of
her Majesty's reign There are two main entrances
from 4arket Street, and one for:artistes, as well as
one from Smithfield to the back of the room. The
Town Hall is 761 t. by 46ft., and in addition it has
a stage 34ft. wide by 6ft. deep. The height to the
ceiling is 38ft. The stage has been constructed
principally for musical purposes, but it can be
readily adapted for dramatic performances also. A
gallery at the opposite end of the room to the stage
will accomodate about 200 persons, and the floor of
the hall will comfortably seat 800 persons, but
accommodation can at pressure be afforded for a
thousand or even a greater number. The doors
have been fitted with double axle hinges, end there
are eight exits from the hall to the corridors and
six external exits. The tenet on which the hall
faces being rather narrow, the building has been
placed a little back from it, thus giving it a better
appearance. Cloak rooms, lavatoriert, and other
accommodation, have been provided. The hall is
lighted by ten windows, five on each side, of
Cathedral tinted glass, in stone mullions. Paa.
ticular attention has ben paid to the ventilation.
Gaslight is supplied by five of Hunt's patent tin--
lights, ov, r which are outlets for carrying off the
vitiated 'Jr. The .rhole of the building is heated
by hot water pipes, supplied by Messrs. Jones and
Attwood It may be stated that in addition to the
town hall, the Commissioners are building in con-
nection and in uniform design a suite of public
offices. The Commissioners' Room, which is to be
38lt long by 21ft. wide, will have a strong room
attached. There will also be offices for the Town
Clerk, collector, surveyor, and other officials One
of the entrances to the Town Hall has been carried
upwards so as to form a tower 1001 t, high, connected
with which is an open balcony 55ft. high. At the
Lack of the public officea there will be the new fire
engine station, and this will be acceasible from
bruitti field, Ample accomodation is provided for the
: fire engine and and brigade appliances, and there
will al.° be a room for the members of the T 01112.-
teer brigade, which is commanded by Captain
Turney. The new Corn Exchange will in many
' respects to senible its predecessor, except that the
: old pilllrs will be dispenses with, Over the cloak
rooms and corridor in front of the hall is an asphalt°
fiat, with a- handaeme parapet wall in front. This
• is accessible from the landing and retiring rooms,
d also firon the town offices. The total cost of the
hail as-at pr-sent erected i, about .84 500, and that
or the ten Offices and Corn Ex hsvize it is esti.
inaded e ill be £2400 more. The work f erecting. the
buliGini6e has been satiEfacterily carried out by the
con; ra• tor,
.Mr. J. Claw Inside the per h to the
Town Hall is.a tablet which has be u susheribed for
,rho onore•fee and a few others. It is of marble !
a waste,aed
ec,orerecat'erdlsbt yhe following inscription-1 his ;
(Vali° mihscription, !
a d prase nte.l to IL° town of Store Lridge in the
, jetilse year if the reigu of her Most Gracious
Majesty, ta,:cen V.ctoria. •W. J. Turney' Eci., P. JP , I
chairman of to ::;toinbriclge Tl2lpoVeenlo
t
oila,ionor,, November 1887.7, h
14, t wits I
1r,,10 deta- 1
!:iiveil.ea.•ii M,asir.ty inoreing. n t pre St nce the
corninissrouere arid a nroute2r of other eeatlemen,
Mr.L Jam. 23, chairinau of the Tablet Cornit ittee,
exyldinad the circurestanees of its prseentation, and• ;
said it had been exccu ed by Mr. Boulton, a well-
known sculptor. Addresses were delivered by
, Messrs.- James, Nwman, Haskew, Woolley, Nash
and NN . Jones, and prssentatioes were inae'a to Mr.
\V. J. Tarney and Mr. C. E. aide)! of a golti
penoil-cate each, as souvenirs c ne day's proceed.