From The Bristol Slave Trade Walk:
"Built on a site in the very heart of Bristol which had been successively occupied
by the Priory of White Friars, a privately owned 'Great House' and a boys' school,
Colston Hall first opened for public use on 20th September 1867. The present name of Colston Hall emanates
from the famous Colston Boys' School established on the site 1707 by Edward Colston.

"The first hall was a grandiose cathedral of the arts designed by
Fosters and Wood, architects of some of Bristol’s most impressive buildings.
It was expanded in 1873 to include a smaller hall, later the Little Theatre.
The street facade is the original, with some windows blocked in, and is listed.

"The interior was destroyed by fire in 1898 and again in 1945.
The present auditorium is said to have one of the best acoustics in the world and is a classic example of early fifties architecture.
The hall’s organ, built by Harrison and Harrison of Durham, is one of the biggest in the country and is highly acclaimed by organists."