The current place de l'Hôtel de Ville was only a field until the construction of the Couvent des Capucins at the beginning of the 17th century.

Reverting to the town at the Revolution, the building housed the municipal departments from 1800 to 1874 as well as the Court from 1800 to 1810 and the Sub-Prefecture from 1800 to 1824.

In the 19th century, the Duc de Persigny, the French Home Secretary, convinced the mayor to have a new Town Hall constructed. Ten years later, a competition for the construction of the building was launched.
The project of Edouard Corroyer, a celebrated Parisian architect and former pupil of Viollet le Duc, was selected.

The work to build the new Town Hall began on 25 May 1865. Suspended during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, it was completed in 1874. On 24 October of the same year, the tricolour flew on the bell-tower.

Materials of different colours were employed for the construction of the new building, like Volvic black stone, contrasting with the Byzantine-like white stone.

The sculpted fountain situated in front of the Town Hall is the work of the Roanne artist Charles-Louis Picaud. Inaugurated on 5 August 1914 by the 98th Infantry Regiment leaving for the front, it pays hommage to the Mayor, François Populle, who defended the town, helped by thousands of peasants, against the Austrian invasion of 1814.