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| April 27th | Penzance Public Buildings (Foundation) | |||||
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With the improvements in travel and tourism, Penzance became a wealthy town and just as with Truro a few decades earlier it was decided that the town deserved new buildings becoming of its wealth and status as a tourist resort.
The major developments included the railway terminus (designed to resemble Paddington Station), the Ross Bridge (February 25th) to allow easy access between the harbour and the station, the Promenade and the Penzance Public Buildings now known as St. John’s Hall. Designed by John Matthews (November 22nd), the foundation stone for the new building was laid on this day in 1864. The Penzance Public Buildings were constructed in an Italian-style using granite from Lamorna Quarry and comprised three distinct sections. The East Wing accommodated the Law Courts and the Council offices, public rooms in the centre including a lecture theatre and hall which could contain an audience of one thousand people whilst the West Wing was occupied by the Royal Geological Society of Penzance (February 11th) which moved from its home in the small building at the top of Market Jew Street.
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