Former Public Hall and Technical School

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 5 September 2024 to update the name and address and reformat the text to current standards.

SD8432SW 906-1/20/52

BURNLEY ELIZABETH STREET (north side) No. 4, Former Public Hall and Technical School

(Formerly listed as No. 6, Former Public Hall and Technical School)

GV II Public hall, used for various purposes including technical school, now offices. 1862. Built by Lawrence Ashworth for hire. Rock-faced sandstone with rusticated quoins and freestone dressings, slate roof. Modified rectangular plan on corner site, the right-hand end slightly projected.

EXTERIOR: two storeys over a basement, 4:1:1 windows, with a moulded gutter cornice. The fifth bay has a shallow two-storeyed pedimented porch containing a wide pilastered doorway at ground floor with stepped pilasters and a recessed door, a moulded cornice, a frieze with a sunk panel which has raised lettering "TECHNICAL SCHOOL", and a large six-pane window at first floor with an unusual shallow two-pane overlight. To the left the four-window range has a doorway in the centre with pilaster jambs, plain frieze and moulded cornice, flanked by basement areas protected by simple iron railings, square-headed windows at ground floor with plain lintels, and round-headed windows at first floor with raised sills and dressed surrounds including imposts and keystones. All these windows have altered glazing. To the right the projected sixth bay has a tall two-stage window. The right-hand gable (to Nicholas Street) has three louvred basement windows, three tall round-headed windows with heads like those at the front and restored glazing with restored radiating glazing bars and wooden-louvred mid-sections; and over the centre window an oblong panel inscribed "PUBLIC HALL".

INTERIOR: not inspected.

HISTORY: was used as an assembly room, lecture hall, secular Sunday School, soup kitchen and theatre, until 1868 when it was bought by the Town Council for use as the town hall until the present Town Hall in Manchester Road was opened in 1888 (qv).

Forms group with Nos 18-24 Nicholas Street (qv) on the corner.

Listing NGR: SD8403832371