History of Halifax, West Yorkshire, England

It is the only surviving cloth manufacturers' hall in Britain. It was here where cottage weavers would take their pieces, or lengths of cloth, to be sold.

Halifax, hal'e-fax, a parliamentary borough, large manufacturing town, and township of England, co. of York, West Riding, on the navigable Calder, and on two railways, 14 miles W.S.W. of Leeds. . It is picturesquely situated on a declivity, surrounded by lofty heights, and, with the exception of a few ancient streets, is mostly built of stone. It is well paved and lighted. Chief buildings, the Piece Hall, a vast and handsome stone-built quadrangle, containing warehouses in which the manufacturers keep their cloths for sale; and the parish church, a fine structure of the fifteenth century, and to which about 18 other churches and chapels are subordinate. All Souls' church is one of the handsomest in England. Here are also numerous meeting-houses and schools, several of which are well endowed, a blue-coat hospital, founded in 1642, a handsome modern infirmary, a jail, a fine town hall, a large orphanage, almshouses, a people's park, a theatre, assembly-rooms, public baths, library,...