Illustrations furnished by George Bown Millet MRCS in 1883, with the following text.
The Market House was opened on the 14th June 1838. It stands on the site of a group of buildings which were taken down in 1836. The most noteworthy of these was the Old Market House, the upper floor of which formed the Guildhall and Corn Chamber - the former at the West end. It was a grey, rather gloomy looking old structure, yet not without a certain grace, from an artistic point of view. The lower floor - the meat market - was lighted through apertures of rather handsome construction, the arches resting upon two short pillars, the whole being of granite. One of these windows may now be seen in the grounds of York House, where it forms an entrance to the fruit gardens. The Market House was surrounded on three sides with a heavy penthouse roof, supported on pillars, underneath which or around it in portable covered stalls such as we still see on Fair day, the market folk offered their goods. The chief entrance to the Market House and Guildhall was on the North Side, just opposite where the Golden Lion Inn now is. It was approached by a semi-circular flight of steps, and over the door appeared the town arms, which were sculpted by Mr Isabel of Truro. This same medallion is now above the north entrance (the watch house) of the present Market House it was placed. The carving had itself replaced an earlier work.
'Old Market-house, that look'd so grim,
Is now a Beau, quite spruce and trim:
The Baptist's head, in profile larger,
Spreads o'er the margin of the Charger,
Et marmore ostendit duro,
How great a Phidias lives at Truro.'
C V Le Grice
November 1803
