The move to establish a Granville School of Arts began in the 1880s with several meetings held to discuss how it could be achieved. In March 1882 a tender was made to build a room for the organisation and by September 1883 construction began on a brick building for the School of Arts upon land sold by James Niblett for 100 pounds, which he donated straight back into the building fund. The building was opened in June 1884.
Granville was gazetted as a borough in 1885 and the first council met in the School of Arts building which continued to be used by the Council until 1889 when the Town Hall was built. During this time classes were held in the back of the building but, after the Council left, the trade courses were expanded and enrolments increased greatly until the Department of Technical Education took over the School and moved the classes to a new Technical School built in South Street.
The School of Arts institute continued as a community meeting place and was managed by a committee. A local library was installed and later a billiard room.
On 20 January 1972 an unanimous vote was taken to transfer the School of Arts to the Parramatta City Council.