The building was commissioned by William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, whose local seat was at Bolton Abbey as a mechanics' institute for the town in the mid-19th century.

The second bay from the left, which was slightly projected forward, was gabled and contained an octagonal clock face in the tympanum.

[2] By 1931, the assembly hall was being used three nights a week as a cinema,[4] and, on other occasions, as a venue for concerts and theatrical performances,[5][6] as well as for public meetings: the inquest into the 1925 Dibbles Bridge coach crash in which 7 people died and 11 were injured took place there in June 1925.

[3] The complex was refurbished during summer 2020, with new lighting and curtains installed, and subsequently re-opened with live operatic recordings from the Royal Opera House.

[8] In December 2023, the complex was awarded a £49,950 grant by the UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund to replace part of the roof, install double glazing, and improve accessibility.