Following the appointment of the Rev. William Jackson from Bilston as the new priest at the Shortwood Baptish Church in Nailsworth, a dissenting group of about 80 worshipers decided to break away from the church and commission their own place of workshop.[1] Their new building was designed in the Italianate style, built in ashlar stone and was officially opened as "the Tabernacle" in 1868.[2]
The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of three bays facing onto Old Bristol Road. The central bay featured a pair of closely-set round-headed doorways, separated by a Corinthian order column, with architraves and keystones. There was a pair of closely-set segmental-headed windows on the first floor and a pediment above, with a circular date stone in the tympanum. The outer bays were fenestrated by round-headed lancet windows on the ground floor and by segmental-headed lancet windows on the first floor. The bays were flanked by full-height pilasters supporting a small cornice. Internally, the principal room was the main hall where religious services were held.[3]
The dissenters gradually re-joined the main congregation after a new Baptist chapel was erected in Newmarket Road in 1881.[1] The Old Bristol Road building was eventually sold to the Wesleyan Methodist Church in 1911.[4] After the Wesleyan congregation moved to Spring Hill in 1947,[5] the Old Bristol Road building was then sold to Nailsworth Urban District Council for use as a town hall.[6]
The building continued to serve as the local of seat of government until the enlarged Stroud District Council was formed in 1974.[7] It subsequently became the meeting place of Nailsworth Town Council, as well as a community events venue, hosting concerts and theatrical performances.[8][9][10] The local football team, Forest Green Rovers F.C., visited the town hall for a reception,[11] to celebrate winning the FA Vase in 1982.[12] In 2017, the town hall also started operating as an art gallery and began providing child care services.[13]
