Caxton Hall is a building on the corner of Caxton Street and Palmer Street, in Westminster, London, England. It is a Grade II listed building primarily noted for its historical associations. It hosted many mainstream and fringe political and artistic events and after the Second World War was the most popular register office used by high society and celebrities who required a civil marriage. History of the structure Following a design competition set by the parishes of St Margaret and St John, the chosen design was a proposal by William Lee and F.J. Smith in an ornate Francois I style using red brick and pink sandstone, with slate roofs. The foundation stone was laid by the philanthropist, Baroness Burdett-Coutts, on 29 March 1882. The facility, which contained two public halls known as the Great and York Halls, was opened as "Westminster Town Hall" in 1883. The building ceased to be the local seat of government after the creation of the enlarged City of Westminster in 1900. It was renamed Caxton Hall at that time to commemorate the printer, William Caxton, who had worked in the almonry of Westminster Abbey. However the halls continued to be used for a variety of purposes including public meetings and musical concerts. A central entrance porch and canopy were added in the mid-20th century, now removed. From 1933 on it was used as a Central London register office and was the venue for many celebrity weddings. This function closed in 1979 and the building stood empty for years getting a place on the Buildings at Risk Register. It was listed as a building of Special Architectural or Historic Interest on 15 March 1984. It was redeveloped as apartments and offices in 2006. The facade and former register office at the front of the building facing Caxton Street were restored and retained being converted into luxury flats (see Facadism). The rear of the building, containing the halls, was demolished and a circular office building, named the Asticus Building, was built on the site. History of its social and political use The building was the location of the First Pan-African Conference in 1900. The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), part of the British Suffragette movement, held a ‘Women's Parliament’ at Caxton Hall at the beginning of each parliamentary session from 1907, with a subsequent procession to the Houses of Parliament and an attempt (always unsuccessful) to