Manchester 's first town hall , designed by Francis Goodwin , was constructed during 1822 – 25 in the neo-classical style with a screen of Ionic columns . Its facade was re-erected as a folly in Heaton Park at the west end of its lake in 1913 . Manchester was granted a Charter of Incorporation in 1838 . Classical architecture gave way to Neo-gothic and Palazzo styles in the Victorian Era . Edward Walters designed the iconic Free Trade Hall in the 1850s as a monument to the Peterloo Massacre and Manchester 's pivotal role in the Anti-Corn Law League . Built as a public hall only the facade remains . The old town hall was replaced by the present Manchester Town Hall , designed by Alfred Waterhouse . Completed in 1877 , its Great Hall contains the Manchester Murals by Ford Madox Brown
Peterloo Massacre
Peterloo Massacre
Architecture of Manchester