Hansom Hall

Hansom Hall, built in 1845 as a Baptist Chapel, was designed by architect Joseph Hansom, who was a Roman Catholic. The building is finished in stucco and features a rounded facade facing the street, flanked by two small semi-circular bays that serve as porches. The central section is adorned with Roman Doric/Tuscan three-quarter columns and ornamental bands, creating six bays. The ground floor displays a blind arcade of moulded stucco arches above basement windows that have corresponding arches. It has a triglyph frieze and a plain cornice. The side bays are divided by "Tower of the Winds" type half-columns, with plain three-panel windows beneath a plain frieze and cornice. Each side has a rusticated ground floor and features double doors framed in moulded rectangular shapes with cornices on consoles. The building is topped with old slate roofs and includes heavy cast-iron area railings and stuccoed piers.

Inside, the hall is semi-circular in plan and has a moulded balcony supported by cast iron piers. These piers rise from the back of the balcony and support a dentilled entablature with a clerestory above, featuring small Doric columns and console brackets between the lights. The ceiling is circular and decorated with a guilloche pattern.

Hansom Hall, along with Nos 50, 52, and 54 (formerly the City Lending Library), forms a group.