The current College of Art and Design opened in September 1969. However the College of Art (or Government School of Art as it was then called) was first opened in Church Street Atheneum in 1874. In 1897, it moved to the top floor of Lauder Street Technical College where it remained until moving in 1939 to the vacated Church Square School which had been built in 1857 as West Hartlepool Public School.
The College remained there until the building was completely destroyed by fire in 1966. The new Cleveland College of Art and Design opened on the same Church Square site in 1968 and part of it remains there to this day offering a range of courses to University level.
In 2017 a new, large, purpose built college building opened at the bottom of Church Street and round into Mainsforth Terrace.
A class at West Hartlepool Art College around 1954.
More detail »Hartlepool College of Art, Church Square, in October 1978.
More detail »The image shows the demolition of last part of the Art College, which had formerly been Church Square School.The building was devastated by fire in 1966 and parts were rebuilt. This was the final part before more rebuilding.
More detail »Damage to the College of Art after a fire in January 1967. Prior to the building being the College of Art, it had been Church Square School until 1939.
HHT+N 100
More detail »Roger Bettison instructs some part time students in the art of pottery in 1954.
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