It was originally built in 1882, when Station Road was laid through, as a one story building housing a circus hall conveniently located next to the railway station. The hall held 1,700 people, and was immensely popular.
Nevertheless, in 1887 the owner could not resist a bid from William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, who converted the circus hall building into a Salvation Army barracks.
In 1894, entrepreneur J. W. Chapman purchased the hall, and turned it into a theater, naming it the People’s Empire Palace. In 1898, the Corporation approved plans for a new theater on the Empire’s site to replace the one it was planning to demolish in the market place.
To save money, the builders of the new Grand Theatre incorporated the frontage of the old circus hall in it’s design, and added two more stories.