Civic Suite – Town Hall

Civic Suite – Town Hall

Although the Town Hall has gone through several make-overs, this site has been the epicentre of Lewisham’s civic governance since 1875. The grand Victorian Gothic building that was the original Town Hall has been extended, demolished and rebuilt over the years, despite being taken on by one teenage boy on an architectural conservation mission in the 1960s.

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- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
On this site stood Hatcliffe’s Almshouses, built in 1857. These important public buildings of Lewisham ended up in Catford because the parish was awarded a plot of land on Rushey Green by the enclosures commissioners.

1857 Hatcliffe's Almshouses
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- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
The original building was designed by George Elkington and built in 1875. The grand structure was representative of the Gothic Revival style, which was popular in Victorian architecture at that time, as seen in Big Ben, Kensington Palace and Strawberry Hill in Twickenham. (Wikiepedia: Gothic revival architecture)

1875 Lewisham’s Original Town Hall
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- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
The Town Hall was extended in 1932, taking over the site of an old fire station. Intended to compliment the design of the existing Town Hall, the new wing housed a number of council offices as well as an auditorium intended for ‘civic, social and dramatic purposes’. Opened by the Duke of York on the 22nd June, this building came to be what is the Broadway Theatre today.

1932 Town Hall extension
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- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
The announcement that the splendid Gothic building which had housed the original Town Hall would be pulled down, provoked one thirteen year old boy, William Norton, to launch a campaign to save it.

1961 Demolition and William Norton’s campaign

Oral history of Seraphim (nee William Norton)
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- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
Norton’s campaign echoed that of Sir John Betjeman, a well-known poet and conservationist, who raised support for the protection of Victorian architecture during the 1960s at a time when modernist and brutalist architecture was changing the face of Britain.

Wikipedia: John Betjeman

William Norton and Sir John Betjeman

Oral history of Seraphim (nee William Norton)
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  Williams War! Don’t you dare pull down our beautiful Town Hall’ Lewisham Herald, May 1961
  Armed with his petition, a 13 year old Brockley school boy, William Norton, is fighting to prevent the old town hall in Catford from being pulled down
  William says : “I consider the building is of historic interest and should be preserved for future generations.”
  
  News Coverage
2. ‘Save the old town hall pleads boy aged 13.’ Lewisham Journal Friday July 28th 1961
  William’s petition reaches over 3000 signatories!
  Petition to be sent to the Ministry of Housing!
  William will ask the housing minister to stop the demolition.
  Can an Act of Preservation save the building for future generations?
  
  News Coverage
3. ‘Ministry nor London County Council will save the old town hall.’Lewisham Borough News. Tuesday 22nd May 1962
  The old town hall will remain… until the end of the year.
  It cannot be pulled down until the 2nd stage of the town hall re-building plan is completed. Despite Williams best efforts Lewisham’s old town hall will be demolished.
  
  News Coverage
- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
- Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive
After the demolition of the original Town Hall, the Civic Suite, as it is today, was erected in its place and opened in 1971 by The Queen Mother.

1971 The Opening of the Civic Suite and the New Town Hall

Oral history of Sheila Pender
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Photo courtesy of Lewisham Archive

Lewisham is one of the only boroughs to have an elected Mayor. Steve Bullock has been Mayor since 2002.

Lewisham's Mayor

Oral history of Sir Steve Bullock

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- Photo by Warren King
- Photo by Warren King
- Photo by Warren King
- Photo by Kevin Ireland
- Photo by Kevin Ireland
The Civic Suite was the perfect location to stage William Norton’s account of his battle to save the Old Town Hall.

2015 Catford Tales: The Civic Suite and William's War revisited

Oral history of Seraphim (nee William Norton)
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The real William Norton even featured in the scene. LYT recreated William’s BBC interview Norton playing the interviewer and 1960s BBC personality, Kevin Allsop. Watch the opening of that video here!

Narrated by Seraphim (nee William Norton). Title images courtesy of the BBC

2015 Catford Tales: Will the real William Norton please stand up?
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- Photo by Kevin Ireland
- Photo by Kevin Ireland
The area of green space in front of the building was also used to enact accounts and memories of childhood games of old. This scene was devised and performed by the students of Rushey Green Primary School.

2015 Catford Tales: Green Space
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