Before its relocation, between 1847 and 1873, the town hall had been the Fire Station House in Swain Street. In 1869, a new triangular site was purchased, and a competition held for a design to rival the town halls of Leeds and Halifax. It took three years to build and was opened on 9 September 1873.
It was first extended in 1909 with another council chamber, more committee rooms and a banqueting hall.
On 14 March 1912 Winston Churchill gave a speech outside the hall in which he called for the people to “go forward together and put these grave matters to the proof” (referring to Irish Home Rule).
It was extended again with a new entrance and staircase in baroque marble in 1914.
In 1965 the name was changed to City Hall to reflect Bradford’s prominence.
The City Hall was the venue for crown court trials until the new Law Courts in Exchange Square opened in 1993.
For those of you interested in the history of the building there is a lot more information to
explore.
Information Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_City_Hall.
