Picture the grand façade of Hampstead Town Hall Centre. This magnificent building on Haverstock Hill boasts a rich history. It wasn’t always an arts centre.
Initially commissioned by the Vestry of St John the Town Hall served a different purpose. The Vestry previously met in a workhouse. As their needs grew they needed a more suitable hall. The current site replaced part of the Belsize House Estate. Civic leaders also considered a location on Hampstead Hill Gardens.
Designed by Henry Edward Kendall and Frederick Mew the Italianate style building opened in June 1878. William Shepherd of Bermondsey constructed it. The symmetrical seven-bay frontage faces Haverstock Hill. The central section features wide steps leading to a doorway. Three tall round-headed windows grace the first floor.
In 1886 Frederick Mew added a bell tower with a staircase. The Hampstead Antiquarian and Historical Society held meetings there from 1897. It became the headquarters of the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead in 1900.
A substantial Baroque style extension designed by John Murray expanded the building southwest along Belsize Avenue in 1911. Famous figures addressed crowds within its walls. Emmeline Pankhurst spoke there in 1913. Sir Oswald Mosley followed in 1938. David Pitt an anti-racism campaigner spoke in 1959.
During World War II an air raid precautions centre was built on the grounds. The building served as a register office after the formation of the London Borough of Camden in 1965. Notable weddings took place here. Cleo Laine and John Dankworth married there in 1958. Dudley Moore and Suzy Kendall wed in 1968. Judi Dench and Michael Williams exchanged vows in 1971. Lulu and John Frieda followed in 1976.
By the 1990s large sections of the Hampstead Town Hall Centre were dilapidated. Burrell Foley Fischer restored and converted it. A large glass atrium was added. The Prince of Wales reopened it as an arts centre in 1999. Today this historic building thrives as a vibrant cultural hub. It continues to serve the community. Its legacy lives on.