Stanley Halls stand as testament to its designer, William Ford Robinson Stanley (1829-1909). In the early 1900s Stanley, a prominent local inventor, industrialist and philanthropist saw the need for public halls and set about designing and funding construction of this wonderful building as a gift to South Norwood.
Time line
1902 - Stanley employed local builder Alfred Lawrence to construct the main hall. He built a fine theatre with an elegant balcony and teak roof beams reminiscent of the hull of a ship. It would also be the first building in Croydon to have electricity.
2nd February 1903 - Stanley's birthday, saw the opening of the first Hall by local Croydon MP Lord Ritchie, Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Hall cost Stanley £13,000 and it was money well spent as it was an instant success staging plays, poetry readings and lectures.
1904 - Such was the success of the Hall that Stanley set about construction of smaller adjoining halls, a committee room, kitchen and a clock tower. This year saw the start of operas being staged by the eminent local conductor, William Hurlstone.
By 1908 - as a keen artist himself, the Stanley Art Club was established and now had a beautiful gallery for exhibits. At its height the gallery housed 144 paintings. The Stanley Athenaeum Society was also going strong with a programme of scientific lectures, concerts, drama and discussion. Famous local composer Samuel Coleridge Taylor was among many who performed in the Athenaenum programme.