Lewisham Town Hall

The building has its origins in a vestry hall designed by George Elkington in the Gothic style which was completed in 1875.[2] It was extended to accommodate the headquarters of the new Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham in 1901.[2]

A curved structure, designed by Bradshaw Gass & Hope in the Art Deco style, which incorporated a concert hall, was built to the east of the vestry hall and completed in 1932.[1]

During the Second World War, an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the bombing of Sandhurst Road School by enemy aircraft on 20 January 1943, which resulted in deaths of 38 children and 6 staff, was held in the town hall.[3]

A further extension in the form of a long curved block of offices to the north west was designed by M. H. Forward in the Modernist style and built in the late 1950s and early 1960s.[2]

A local activist, William Horton, led a petition which was supported by John Betjeman to save the original vestry hall in the early 1960s.[4] However, following the creation of the enlarged London Borough of Lewisham in 1965,[5] the vestry hall was demolished in 1968 to make way for a "Civic Suite" which was designed by A Sutton and completed in 1971.[2] Meanwhile, on the south side of Catford Road, St Laurence's Church was also demolished in 1968 to make way for an additional office block for council use known as St Laurence's House.[6]

A statue by Gerda Rubinstein entitled Pensive Girl was unveiled outside the building in 1992.[7]

• 
  The old vestry hall c. 1900
• 
  John Betjeman reads William Horton's petition to save the vestry hall (which can be seen in the background), 1961
• 
  The "Civic Suite" completed in 1971