Free Trade Hall

The Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England, was for many years a focal point for public debate and cultural activity in the city. Built in 1853–56 to the designs of Edward Walters, near the site of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre, on what is today Peter Street (formerly St. Peters Fields), it has historically been seen as a symbol of free trade and the wealth that it helped to generate for Manchester during the Industrial Revolution. It was also used as a concert hall. The Hallé Orchestra first performed there in 1858, and continued to do so until its move in 1996 to the Bridgewater Hall. (Wikipedia)