# Helston Guildhall > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Helston_Guildhall > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Helston_Guildhall.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helston_Guildhall > Source revision: 1345577912 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Municipal building in Helston, Cornwall, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox historic site | name = Helston Guildhall | native_name = | image = Helston Town Hall, Helston, Cornwall, England 11Sept2017 arp.jpg | caption = Helston Guildhall | locmapin =Cornwall | map_caption =Shown in Cornwall | coordinates ={{coord| 50.1011 |N| 5.2745|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}} | location =Market Place, [Helston](/source/Helston) | area = | built =1839 | architect = [George Wightwick](/source/George_Wightwick) | architecture =[Neoclassical style](/source/Neoclassical_architecture) | designation1 =Grade II* Listed Building | designation1_offname = Guildhall | designation1_date =22 May 1972 | designation1_number = 1196492 | website= }} '''Helston Guildhall''', formerly '''Helston Town Hall''',{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hq1HAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA451 |title= Comprising the Southern Counties, Kent to Cornwall|year=1897|page=451|publisher=E. R. Shipton}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hq1HAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA451 |title= The Municipal Year Book and Public Utilities Directory|year=1960 |page=1828|publisher=Municipal Journal|quote= Helston Town Hall }} is a municipal building on Market Place, [Helston](/source/Helston), [Cornwall](/source/Cornwall), England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Helston Town Council, is a Grade II* [listed building](/source/listed_building).{{NHLE|desc=Guildhall|num= 1196492|access-date=17 October 2021}} ==History== The first municipal building in Helston was a market house which was erected in 1576.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ccHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA11 |title= Camden's Britannia epitomized and continued|volume=2|first=Samuel |last=Tymms|location=London|publisher=Henry G. Bohn|year=1842|page=11}} In the 1830s, at the height of the prosperity of the local tin-mining industry, the borough leaders decided to demolish the old market hall and to replace it with two new structures: a guildhall, which would become the local courthouse, and, behind it, a new market hall, where local market trading would take place.{{NHLE|desc=Helston Museum and Entrance Screen|num=1293091|access-date=17 October 2021}}{{efn|The new market hall went on to become the [Helston Museum](/source/Museum_of_Cornish_Life) in 1949.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nvTT0gN_3doC&dq=market+house+in+1837+helston&pg=PA175 | title=Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly: the complete guide | publisher=Matador | author=Clegg David | year=2005 | pages=175 | isbn=978-1904744993 | access-date=30 September 2020 | archive-date=2 September 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902110411/https://books.google.com/books?id=nvTT0gN_3doC&pg=PA175&lpg=PA175&dq=market+house+in+1837+helston#q=market%20house%20in%201837%20helston | url-status=live }}}} The new guildhall was designed by [George Wightwick](/source/George_Wightwick) in the [neoclassical style](/source/Neoclassical_architecture), built in [ashlar](/source/ashlar) stone and was completed in 1839. The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto Coinagehall Street; on the ground floor, there were three doorways, each flanked by [pilaster](/source/pilaster)s and [brackets](/source/Bracket_(architecture)) supporting solid triangular [pediment](/source/pediment)s. On the first floor, there were [sash window](/source/sash_window)s with [cornice](/source/cornice)s flanked by [Doric order](/source/Doric_order) columns, or in the case of the outer bays, Doric order pilasters, supporting an [entablature](/source/entablature), which was inscribed with the date of construction, and a [pediment](/source/pediment) with a clock supported by winged figures in the [tympanum](/source/Tympanum_(architecture)); the clock was by Wasbrough, Hale & Co. of Bristol.{{cite book |editor1-last=Pickford |editor1-first=Chris |title=Turret Clocks: Lists of Clocks from Makers' Catalogues and Publicity Materials |date=1995 |publisher=Antiquarian Horological Society |location=Wadhurst, E. Sussex |page=13 |edition=2nd}} Internally, the principal rooms were the [corn exchange](/source/corn_exchange) on the ground floor, and the courtroom and the mayor's parlour on the first floor.{{cite web|url=http://www.helstonhistory.co.uk/helston-historical-buidings/guildhall/ |title=The Guildhall|publisher=Helston History| access-date=17 October 2021}} In the 19th century the building was primarily used as a courthouse: it accommodated hearings for both the county court and the [court of petty sessions](/source/petty_sessions).{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=nMp9AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA44 |title=650 years|first=Bill|last=Anderson|publisher= [Lulu Books](/source/Lulu_(company)) |year=2011|isbn= 978-1447848646 |page=44}} In May 1907, the [Lord Mayor of London](/source/Lord_Mayor_of_London), [Sir William Treloar](/source/Sir_William_Treloar%2C_1st_Baronet), whose ancestors came from the local area, received the Freedom of Helston at the guildhall,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eC5qAAAAMAAJ&q=Helston+Guildhall |title=A Lord Mayor's Diary, 1906-7 |first=Sir William Purdie |last=Treloar|publisher=Wentworth Press|year=2019|isbn= 978-0526983742|page=VIII}} and also had the honour of leading the annual [Furry Dance](/source/Furry_Dance).{{cite book|last=Fitzgibbon|first=Theodora |year=1973|title=A Taste of England, the West Country: traditional food|location=London|publisher= Pan Books|pages=90–91|isbn= 978-0460078733 }} The guildhall continued to serve as the headquarters of the borough council, with the old courtroom serving as the council chamber, for much of the 20th century but ceased to be the local seat of government after the enlarged [Kerrier District Council](/source/Kerrier) was formed in 1974.{{cite book|title=Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70|publisher=The Stationery Office Ltd|isbn=0-10-547072-4|year=1997}} Instead, Helston Town Council, formed in 1974, moved its staff into the guildhall and also used the council chamber as its meeting place.{{cite web|url= https://www.helston-tc.gov.uk/Your_Council_90.aspx |title=Your Council|publisher=Helston Town Council| access-date=17 October 2021}} Works of art in the guildhall include a painting by [John Bryant Lane](/source/John_Bryant_Lane) entitled "Christ Derided",{{cite web|url= https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/christ-derided-14201 |title=Christ Derided|first=John Bryant|last=Lane|publisher=Art UK| access-date=17 October 2021}} and a portrait by Maurice Whinney of RAF officer, Wing Commander [Guy Gibson](/source/Guy_Gibson), who was brought up in the local area.{{cite web|url= https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/wing-commander-guy-gibson-19181944-14202 |title= Wing Commander Guy Gibson (1918–1944)|first=Maurice|last=Whinney| publisher=Art UK| access-date=17 October 2021}} ==See also== * [Grade II* listed buildings in Cornwall (A–G)](/source/Grade_II*_listed_buildings_in_Cornwall_(A%E2%80%93G)) ==Notes== {{notelist}} ==References== {{reflist}} Category:Government buildings completed in 1839 Category:City and town halls in Cornwall Category:Helston Category:Grade II* listed buildings in Cornwall Category:Corn exchanges in England Category:Grade II* listed government buildings --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Helston Guildhall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helston_Guildhall) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helston_Guildhall?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.