Rochdale Town Hall was opened on September 7th, 1871 with a ceremony befitting this fine Victorian building designed by William Crossland. When proposed in 1864 it was recommended that £20,000 be spent on a suitable building. When it was completed, the remarkable building with its 240 foot high wooden spire topped by a gilded statue of St. George, cost £155,000.

Twelve years after it was opened a fire, visible 10 miles away, destroyed the tower. The building remained spireless for 4 years before Alfred Waterhouse, the architect responsible for Manchester Town Hall, completed a fine stone replacement.

Rochdale Town Hall is still highly regarded for its outstanding stained glass window, grand staircase and the hammer beam roof in the Great Hall.