Ealing Town Hall was built in 1887–1888 from the design of the Borough Surveyor and Architect Charles Jones (1830–1913) to replace an earlier building further to the east along the Uxbridge Road. The building is mock gothic and built from Kentish ragstone. It was officially opened by the Prince of Wales. It was built as the administrative centre of Ealing, with working accommodation for councillors and employees. It has subsequently been expanded to meet the rising demands made on local government. The Council Chamber has, since 2007, housed six portraits of important former residents of Ealing (including the foresaid Jones); the Nelson Room holds another two. Some of the building’s rooms are used by local groups for meetings and social events, as it has since its inception.