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Date: c. 1882 Client: Public Library and Institute Company Type: Town Hall Status: Razed by fire 1898 Street: Old Main Street

Kimberley’s Town Hall on Old Main Street had burnt down on 29 March 1898, destroying twenty years’ worth of records (or so it was stated). What started the fire was never discovered. The fire had come not a moment too soon, it appeared, as the building badly needed some major repair work, and was too small. It had been the Council’s third such offices, the first being a few ramshackle rooms, and the second the former Linton’s Stores. The council had moved into the Linton’s Stores building in March 1879 after a few alterations had been made. The Public Library and Institute Company had built a building to utilise as a library but they had gone into liquidation, and sold the building in 1882 to the Town Council. The council had moved into this new Hall once a few alterations had been made in order to make some offices. After the fire of 1898, the Council moved temporarily into the old Stock Exchange building where at their meeting on 13 April 1898 they came to a decision to erect a new building on Market Square. (Summary by Paul v d Merwe from: kimberley.org.za)