Following the granting of a new charter by King James VI and I in 1608, Fethard Corporation was directed to build "a tholsel (common hall) for assemblies".

[3] The coats of arms of Sir John Everard and another local landowner, James Butler, 2nd/12th Baron Dunboyne, whose seat was at Kiltinan Castle, were fixed to the front of the building.

[4] By the mid-18th century, the building was no longer operating as a facility for the poor and an assembly room had been established on the first floor, which was used as a courtroom as well as a meeting place for the corporation.

[9] An extensive programme of refurbishment works, involving the replacement of the cement render on the front of the building as well as the conversion of the interior for museum use, was initiated in October 2014.

The building was officially re-opened by the Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Paul Kehoe, as the Fethard Horse Country Experience in May 2017.