Limehouse Town Hall is a Grade II listed building with a rich history. Originally commissioned by the Limehouse Board of Works as a vestry hall for the Parish of St Anne’s, the building was designed by Arthur and Christopher Harston in the Palazzo style and constructed by J. H. Johnson. It was opened as the vestry hall of the Limehouse District on 29 March 1881.

Over the years, the town hall ceased to serve as the seat of local government after the parish became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney in 1900. It was then used as an events venue and administrative centre. Notably, on 30 July 1909, the Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George delivered a memorable speech in the assembly room, which coined the phrase "To Limehouse," referring to an incendiary political speech.

During the Second World War, the building was heavily damaged in the Blitz but was later restored and reopened by Prime Minister Clement Attlee in November 1950. The management of the building was transferred to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in 1965. It subsequently served as the National Museum of Labour History from 1975 until its closure in 1986. Afterward, it was used as the Wapping Neighbourhood Offices and later as a training centre and winter shelter for homeless people.

In 2004, the Limehouse Town Hall Consortium Trust secured a long lease on the building and restored it with support from English Heritage. It reopened as a community centre in April 2012.

Today, the building houses various offices on the ground floor, with community groups and organizations utilising the space. While it is not generally open to the public, Limehouse Town Hall participates in events like Open House London, offering guided tours of the building.


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