TOWN HALL PENANG
HISTORY
* The foundation stone of the Town Hall was laid in 1879 and the main building completed in 1883. It consisted of an assembly hall, a grand ballroom, and a library. You may be eager to known that the Penang Library was born here, after the Prince of Wales Library was moved here and renamed. Take over was in 1890 while the covered entrance and top floor added in 1903. The left wing builds when cement plaster was introduced and added in 1930. Those extensions and renovations together constitute the Town Hall.
*For decades the Penang Town Hall was the watering hole for the local socialites and elites, the venue for theatrical performances. Church services were held here which by Wesley Church in 1891, Bangsawan plays were performed, in 1903, while a group of Filipino musicians played here from 1890 right up to 1954.
* The Penang Town Hall was even featured in the movie Anna and the King, the courtroom segment of which was filmed here in 1999. When the local authorities considered demolishing the Penang Town Hall, the National Museum stepped in to save it, gazetting it a historic monument on 29 July 1993.
REFERENCE- http://www.asiaexplorers.com/malaysia/townhall_penang.htm
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