Manchester Group Annual General Meeting and talk: The Saving of Stretford Public Hall by Kate McGeevor.
The hall was built by the philanthropists John and Enriquetta Rylands, and was officially opened on 13th September 1879. John Rylands was Manchester’s first multi-millionaire, who made his money from textile mills. The Hall was designed by architect William Arthur Lofthouse, in a mixed gothic revival style. It was intended to be a public hall, with lecture rooms and the town’s first free lending library.
Following John Ryland’s death in 1888, his widow Enriqueta rented the building to the local authority. The hall became known as Stretford Town Hall. In 1910, the Hall was bought by Stretford Council for a nominal fee of £5,000.
Today Stretford Public Hall is a community-owned, multi-purpose building run by the Friends of Stretford Public Hall since 2015 whose aim is to create space for good things to happen in Stretford. Kate helped save the Hall when it fell into disuse and continues to be actively involved with the Friends today.