The building was commissioned by the Parish of St Paul's Church, Anerley as their
vestry hall. The area chosen for the new building was part of a site occupied by the North Surrey District School. The town hall was designed by George Elkington in the
Italianate style and built by J & C Bowyer, builders, at a cost of £4,341; it was officially opened on 30 April 1879. The original design involved three bays with a central doorway on the ground floor; there were two windows above the doorway and three windows in each of the other bays on the first floor; The building was faced with white
gault bricks, with covered stone dressings, and the roofs were of
Bangor slate. The assembly hall was set to the southeast of the main building and featured an unusual
hammerbeam roof with the beams connected by
wrought iron rods. and was significantly extended by the creation of three extra bays to the northwest at a cost of £3,229 to incorporate a council chamber and committee rooms in 1911. Further changes were made to create a courtroom for
petty sessions in 1925. It was extended with a new structure at the rear to accommodate a public library and also to create additional space for Bromley Council's housing and social services departments in 1987. This allowed the town hall's former library area to be hired out for family events and children's parties. Items of interest in the town hall include the first-rate book dated 18 June 1827 which records the first-rate payment by William Sanderson, a resident at "Anerley House", the first house to be built on the former
Penge Common. ==References==