The office on Commercial Street – York Buildings – was originally built in 1903 as a department store for draper Alexander Scott and designed by Clement Williams & Sons, and opened as the headquarters and offices of the Halifax Permanent Building Society in March 1921.
On 22nd September 1927, it was announced that Halifax Permanent Building Society of 1853, Halifax Permanent Building Society of 1900 and Halifax Equitable Building Society would merge to become the Halifax Building Society. The actual merger was completed on 31st January 1928.
On 14th May 1928, the Society opened its first branch in Scotland at Glasgow.
The Head Office moved to its present premises in Trinity Road – formerly the site of Ramsden's Stone Trough Brewery – which was opened by HM The Queen on 13th November 1974. The front of the old Freemasons' Hall is incorporated into the new building.
The Building Design Partnership are to blame for the Head Office building – of brown glass, stone, concrete and steel wind-breakers – which must surely be the most incongruous, ill-proportioned, inappropriate, and out-of-character structure in a town which is attempting to promote its Victorian image to tourists – no evidence here to support the argument that taste, style and money can co-exist – the building received RIBA recognition ('nuff said).
In 1997, the organisation became a bank, Halifax PLC.
In 2001, it merged with the Bank of Scotland to become HBoS
See Copley Data Centre, Halifax Building Society Memorial, Halifax Building Society Offices and Round the Table
This & associated entries use material contributed by Sylvia Crowder
Page Ref: KK_185
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