Old Woodstock Town Hall National Historic Site of Canada, Ontario
Posted by: 
colincan
N 43° 07.785 W 080° 45.435
17T E 519744 N 4775252
This charming Italianate style brick building served as a multi functional town hall and farmers' market besides other municipal uses before being converted into the current home of the Woodstock Museum.
Waymark Code: WMEC37
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 05/05/2012
Views: 11
Old Woodstock Town Hall in a stately square on the main street of the community is the epitome of a multi-functional municipal building. It was built 1851-1853 in a then rural town at a time when the agricultural industry was consolidating and the economy of Canada West (Upper Canada) was diversifying into manufacturing. Townsfolk wanted their new municipal building to be a farmers’ market, mayor’s office and civic services office all rolled into one. They got way more to boot. The building was to serve as a jail, fire hall, council chamber and public meeting hall also. Its placement in a specially created public square afforded the new building pride of place in the community. The two storey high, deep, brick building is of the Italianate style topped by a cupola. Antoine Grobl designed it. Grant Hall, the public space upstairs, hosted all manner of public entertainment and political happenings. In 1968, to meet expansion needs, the Town Offices decamped to the former post office (another fine building) and the town hall became the Oxford County Museum, now the Woodstock Museum. The Old Woodstock Town Hall was designated of national significance in 1955 and plaqued by the federal government in 1956.
Credit: www.woodstockmuseum.ca
Classification: National Historic Site
Province or Territory: Ontario
Location - City name/Town name: Woodstock
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: Not listed
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