In
1889 Town Council approved plans for the construction of a new Market
Hall. Construction costs were set at $11,000.
The new building would replace the much smaller market that had
been operating since construction of Peterborough’s first town hall
(1851) on Water Street.
Architect
John Belcher drew up plans for a large two storey brick building with an
imposing four faced clock tower.
The
building opened in 1890. The second floor gallery was an indoor market and
during the summer months, a large outdoor market was located on the
eastern side of the building. Ground floor areas were used as retail
stores. The building was managed by the city.
The
Market had moved out of the Hall by 1950. The upstairs became a gymnasium.
In the mid 1970’s, the City sold the building to private developers and
the Peterborough Square shopping mall was built adjacent to the landmark.
In
1984, a million dollar capital project converted the gymnasium into a
performing arts centre. First operated by an organization called Artspace,
Market Hall became a major focal point for the region’s cultural
community. However, by 1997, no tenant was in place to manage the
performing arts centre. Rumors began surfacing at the time, suggesting the
theatre space would be converted into a downtown bingo hall. Moreover, the
building’s external façade was in need of considerable repairs. Two
major campaigns emerged to remedy the problems.
First,
a Save the Market Hall campaign was created by professor T.H.B. Symons,
Chair of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. The campaign
was designed to raise money for the city to acquire the building and fix
the structure. While at the same time, Friends of Market Hall was created
as an ad hoc board that would oversee and manage the day to day functions
of the Performing Arts Centre. Both initiatives were very successful.
Recently,
the clock tower received its long needed upgrade and now stands tall in
the heart of the downtown. At the same time, Market Hall Performing Arts
Centre continues to successfully manage the theatre space, with dozens of
user groups accessing the site and thousands of patrons enjoying its
shows. Market Hall Performing Arts Centre has carved out one of the finest
reputations for a cultural centre in the region and bookings for M.H.P.A.C.
continue to grow on a yearly basis.
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