The site of an early town hall ('vestry office' in its early days), is still occupied by the building that was used. This is the building in front of St Augustine's - behind the buses in our photo on that page. In 1900 it was re-faced in stone and given a pediment inscribed 'Hackney Old Town Hall'. In recent years it has housed banks and now (2020) a betting shop. It seems that this was erected in 1802 as a private house, or possibly that was at another site further north on Mare Street, it's not clear.
By 1866 the building at St Augustine's had become too small and was replaced by a building further south on Mare Street (on what is now the civic garden in front of the current town hall), designed by Harnmack (possibly "Hammack") and Lambert in the Italianate style. We can find no photo but has a detailed description and says it was similar to St George’s-in-the-East Vestry Hall/Stepney Town Hall, Cable Street - the building with this mural on its flank.
That building also became too small and in 1898 It was extended at both ends. Then in 1934-7 the new (current) town hall was built, and the old one demolished. The new one, pictured, was designed by Lanchester & Lodge.
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