Before 1715 the day to day affairs of the borough took place either at the Tolhouse (which still stands beside the library), or at the Guildhall (which stood near the parish church). The first town hall on the current site was Georgian. Built in 1715 at a cost of £880, its main, very imposing entrance faced onto the river and South Quay. It was demolished in 1870 when the site was cleared for the present Town Hall.

Mayor Charles Aldred laid the large three ton cornerstone on 20 April 1880. Designed by architect JB Pearce, the building is made of red brick facings and red Mansfield stone. It cost £35,764, including fittings, and was formally opened by the Prince of Wales on 31 May 1882.

About four years later, disaster struck when the west front wall started to sink. The sheer weight of the building, so close to the river was too much for the ground to support. There were fears that the whole building would have to be demolished and the western facade, the one facing the river, had to be held up by huge wooden beams. To solve the problem of subsidence, an engineer called Duckham designed a system of wrought iron girders, placed on massive screw piles. By gradually screwing up the piles, the building was raised in 1887. This underpinning ensured its survival. It feels solid enough today, although it does lean a little to one side.