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OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE RESTORED |
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OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE RESTORED |
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Some Landmarks in the History of the Gibraltar City Hall |
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| 1793 | Aaron Cardozo, was promised a grant of land where the City Hall now stands. |
| 1813 | Cardozo is granted the Deed of Conveyance to the land. |
| 1815 | The present building was erected in Gibraltar's Main Square. |
| 1833 | Still owned by Cardozo, the building becomes the Garrison Officers' Club. |
| 1839 | The building was converted to a hotel, hosting many distinguished guests. |
| 1875 | The hotel is closed and the building sold to Pablo Antonio Larios. |
| 1876 January. |
Larios placed the building at the disposal of the Duke of Connaught. |
| April. | The Duke of Connaught leaves Gibraltar, soon afterwards the Larios family take up residence in the building, then known as Connaught House |
| 1879 | Pablo Antonio Larios died after a riding accident. |
| 1895 | Pablo Antonio Larios' son, Pablo offered to hire a strip of land to the north of the building to house a modern kitchen. When eventually built, this widened the building by 17feet. About this time a heavy glass enclosed balcony was added over the entrance. |
| 1900 | Pablo married and brought his wife, Pepita Fernandez de Villavicensio, Marquesa de Marzales, to this their new home. |
| 1916 | Pablo started alterations to add a second floor to the north wing of the building. |
| 1920 | The alterations still not complete, the building was sold to the Government. The Larios family continued renting the top floors while a parcels post office was installed in the ground floor. |
| 1922 | The Larios family moved out. Their apartments remained vacant. |
| 1923 | The Governor, Sir Charles Monro suggested the building be used as a City Hall. |
| 1924 | The City Council met for the first time in the building on September 24th. |
| 1926 | A telephone exchange was installed in a storey built on the roof of the City Hall. |
| 1937 | The City Hall was floodlit for the Coronation of King George VI. Crowds gathered in the square below to listen to the voice of their new king. |
| 1948 | An extensive refurbishment took place removing all exterior ornament to modernise the appearance of the building. |
| 1995 | Work was started on the restoration of the exterior of the building. The Gibraltar Heritage Trust raised substantial funds through donations and grants from the Gibraltar Government, the European Union, Manifold Trust and FOGHS. |
| 1996 | Work was completed on the exterior restoration. The Gibraltar Heritage Trust earmarks as their next project the renovation of the Mayor's office and parlour. |
| 1999 | Work is started on the renovations of these two rooms formerly the Larios family's saloon and music room. |
| 2000 | l25 years after Pablo Antonio Larios brought his family to Connaught House, these two rooms have been restored, and are now, once again fit for a Prince. |
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