[3] The right of the borough council to elect members of parliament, usually resulting in the lord of the manor, Sir William Jolliffe, being selected, was removed under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and the town hall, which had become dilapidated as well as redundant, was demolished in 1898.

[1] A corn exchange had been erected on the corner of the High Street and the Market Square in 1866 and, after use of the building declined significantly in the wake of the Great depression of British agriculture in the late 19th century,[4] it was re-purposed as a venue for public meetings, theatrical performances and concerts.

[7] The new building was designed by Seely & Paget in the Art Deco style, built by Messrs. Rigg and Remington of Westminster in red brick at a cost of £5,500, and it was officially opened on 6 October 1935.

[8] The Petersfield Musical Festival continued to be held each year and operated under the conductorship of Adrian Boult until 1945, and under Sydney Watson, Richard Seal and Mark Deller among others, thereafter.

[11][12][13] A small hall was added to the side in 1975, followed by a block of dressing rooms constructed to a design by Kenneth Claxton in 1979.