 In 1935 , County Hall was built on the open side of The Crescent , providing Somerset County Council with more space than their previous offices at Shire Hall . Early plans for further buildings at the site did not come to fruition , but County Hall was extended in the 1960s to cover most of the open land in front of The Crescent .. Despite the work done by Hammet , the area between The Crescent and the High Street was still considered a slum until it was redeveloped around the Second World War . During this period , the General Post Office ( GPO ) built " Telephone House " , a telephone exchange and office building , replacing the houses in the middle of the terrace . 
