The Mansion House, the residence of the Lord Mayors of London during their year of office, was built from 1739 to the design of the elder George Dance, the Great or Egyptian Hall being almost complete by 1758. Dry rot was discovered in 1786 and in 1789 the younger Dance reported that a new roof was required, the old one being in a ruinous state, though it was not until the end of 1795 that the work was put in hand. The ceiling was lowered by over 20 feet and a semicircular coffered barrel vault replaced the previous flat ceiling.

For a detailed account of the removal of the attic and lowering of the roof of the Egyptian Hall see Jeffery, 1993, pp.233-6.

For further drawings by George Dance the Younger or his office for the Mansion House see [vol.17,48], [vol.17,12], [vol.16,116], [vol.17,42], [vol.17,52], [vol.17,8], [vol.17,11], [vol.17,51], [vol.16,9].

LITERATURE. S. Jeffery, The Mansion House, 1993.