County Hall

Established in 1889, the West Riding County Council had jurisdiction over a huge area covering the entire West Riding of Yorkshire. The choice for a permanent base for the County Council lay between Leeds and Wakefield, and after much debate, Wakefield was chosen.

The site for the new County Hall was that of Rishworth House on Bond Street, previously a wealthy gentlemen’s house of 1812, bought by the West Riding quarter sessions in 1878.

The Council held an architectural competition for the new building, the winning entry being James Gibson’s gothic design. The County Hall was built in the four years between 1894 and 1898, with Charles Gaskell, Chairman of the West Riding County Council, opening the building in February 1898. New wings, seamlessly matching the original design, were added between 1912 and 1915 by George Crook. Following local government reorganisation in 1974, and the later dissolution of the Metropolitan Councils, County Hall was purchased by Wakefield Council as its headquarters.

The picture shows Wakefield’s County Hall, today the base of Wakefield Council.

Image: http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/business/room-hire/wakefield-town-hall