Designed In 1892 By The Prominent Newcastle Architect, Frederick Burnhardt Menkens, It Is Considered By Many To Be His 'Masterpiece'.Originally Called 'Wood'S Chambers' It Was Built For Joseph Wood As 'Superior Office Accommodation And Wine Auction Premises'. The Wood Bros. & Co. Were Wholesale Wine And Spirit Merchants And Brewers. At The Time Of Its Completion It Was Acclaimed As The Finest Of Its Kind In The Colony.The Architect, Menkens Also Regarded It As One Of His Finest Creations And Carried On His Practice From The First Floor Of The Building From 1893 Until His Retirement In 1908.Later The Building Was Purchased By The Longworth Family Who Established It As The Intellectual Centre Of Newcastle. As The .Longworth Institute, It Was Used As An Art Gallery, Library And Musical Recital HallWith Its Imbedded Sound Proofing Between Floors It Provided For Excellent Acoustics For The Performers. more... See more text