Touchstones blue plaque

This blue commemorative plaque records: Touchstones Rochdale Grade II Listed (1884 - extended in 1903 and 1913) The Rochdale Town Hall fire of 1883 burned the clock tower library and led to the opening of this ‘Free Public Library’ one year later. Later expanding to include a Museum and Art Gallery, three sandstone panels representing ‘Science, Art & Literature’ were set into the front elevation. During WWII, the building accommodated a Food Recorded plaque organisation: Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council.

Touchstones Rochdale is a Grade II Listed building that originally served as a 'Free Public Library' after the Rochdale Town Hall fire of 1883; it later expanded to include a Museum and Art Gallery, symbolizing the cultural and educational aspirations of Victorian Britain. During WWII, the building was repurposed to accommodate food distribution efforts, highlighting its role in community support during wartime.