Memorial Hall was built by the Town of Carman and Rural Municipality of Dufferin Councils as a meeting place for those that returned from the Frist World War and in memory of those from the community that had fallen in the war. It was the first war memorial of its kind in Western Canada and still remains as a monument of community remembrance. In 1919, it was estimated the area had a combined population of less than 3,500 citizens with a total of 500 young men that went overseas, 83 made the supreme sacrifice.
Construction began in October 1919 and a large crowd attended the laying of the cornerstone ceremony that fall. Mr. A.W. Badger read the list of the contents of the cornerstone box. Dufferin Reeve Thomas Harrison was the chairman for the event, while Carman Mayor J. A. Munn addressed the crowd and offered details on the construction and equipment of the hall. The building was constructed of red brick and Manitoba limestone. On the front of the building, two stone blocks were engraved with VIMY and MONS to pay tribute to the Canadian soldiers who fought so valiantly in those two battles. When these blocks were being installed, Dr. H.C. Cunningham was passing by and noticed the MONS block was placed upside down, thus spelling SNOW. The contractor was advised and the block was correctly installed.
The grand opening of Memorial Hall was held on 24 May 1920. The Memorial Room designed in the front northwest corner of the building remains intact to this day. For many years the basement served as a gathering point for the community and jail cells were located in the rear. Over the years, offices were built in this space and used by a number of different groups and organizations.
The main hall was used for weekend dances, community teas and luncheons. The bell tower, at the rear of the building, ran from the basement to the roof and housed the fire hoses. The fire bell was located in this tower until the 2015 renovation when it was removed and displayed in front of the Carman Dufferin Fire Hall. During a renovation, the bell tower was capped off at the third floor. The main hall became a temporary home for a clothing store in the late 1970s and in the 1990s served as temporary housing for the two municipal offices. During the 2015 renovations, a board room and offices were constructed in the main hall.
Originally, the third floor of Memorial Hall was developed into a theatre and auditorium that held many plays, graduations, motion pictures, and community events. Over the decades, actors in the productions autographed their names and character on the south wall. By the 1960s, the theatre required upgrades and was closed to the general public. It became a storage area for municipal document retention until the 2015 renovation, when the old theatre was developed into meeting rooms, offices and council chambers.
