Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB20/08/022

Address :
Masonic Hall 76 Church Street Antrim BT41 4BA

Townland:
Town Parks

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
10/12/1974 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Hall

Former Use
Hall

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
96-13 SE

IG Ref:
J1511 8651

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Owner Category

Masonic Lodge Masonic Lodge Masonic Lodge

Exterior Description And Setting

A single storey gabled building in Gothic Revival style, with a 2-storey gabled transverse rear return of a plainer style. Main entrance faces north. North elevation of front block: gable of symmetrical design with central doorway flanked by one window each side and surmounted by an oculus in the apex. Walling of roughly coursed basalt rubble with white painted stone dressings to openings, moulded copings with shaped kneelers, projecting plinth, and weatherings to regularly coursed basalt rubble angle buttresses. Original wrought iron ornamented finials to apex of gable coping and to kneelers. Entrance contains a pair of original rectangular timber panelled doors with diagonal tongued and grooved sheeted panels, flanked by a pair of columns supporting a moulded Gothic arch with a tympanum panel decorated with raised ornament depicting a coat of arms, Masonic emblems and a ribbon inscribed 'Audi Vide Tace'; granite doorstep. Flanking windows are narrow rectangular timber set in chamfered reveals with block surrounds rising to a Gothic arched head containing a sunken patera. Similar paterae ornament the kneelers and apex of the gable. Upper oculus with moulded surround contains tinted glazing of 'Star of David' pattern. East elevation of front block: roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with two flush rooflights; one chimney, smooth cement rendered, with stop chamfered corners and moulded cap. Moulded cast iron gutter and cast iron downpipes. Walling as previous but no plinth; moulded eaves course, white painted smooth cement render. Two windows, rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 1 over 1, with horns, set in arched Gothic surrounds as previous; surrounds in unpainted smooth cement render. West elevation of front block similar to east but four openings. Central high level window opening with block surrounds; eaves course as head; opening blocked with smooth cement render. Doorway at right-hand end, rectangular flush timber, with plain fanlight, in Gothic arched surround as previous to windows; doorway coupled with a window in similar surround, now boarded up; smaller similar window to left of that. North elevation of rear block: 2-storey, with one window to each floor to each side of front block; roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; cast iron gutters and downpipes. Walling to east side of front block is roughly coursed basalt rubble with a high wet dashed plinth; smooth cement quoins to left-hand extremity. Windows are rectangular timber 4-pane fixed lights with 2-pane top-hung vents, set in smooth cement rendered block surrounds. Walling to west side of front block is smooth cement rendered, lined and blocked, with slightly raised cement quoins to right-hand extremity. Windows are similar to those on east side except ground floor has single pane top vent. East elevation of rear block: 2-storey, with two windows to each floor. Walling is roughly coursed basalt rubble with a high wet dashed plinth; timber barge boards to oversailing eaves, with timber finial on apex. Windows are rectangular, set in smooth cement rendered block surrounds, with projecting concrete cills; openings blocked up with smooth cement render containing a small modern metal ventilator. Rear elevation of rear block: 2-storey, 3-bay. Roof slated as previous. Walling is rendered, wet dash, with smooth cement quoins to extremities. Cast iron gutter and downpipe. One doorway to each floor, in left-hand bay; rectangular timber panelled, with plain 3-light fanlight; upper doorway reached by a modern steel fire escape dog-leg stairway. First floor windows are rectangular but blocked with smooth cement render; ground floor windows similar except only partially blocked, with 3-pane timber top-hung vents. West elevation of rear block is similar to east except walling is rendered with wet dash; two ground floor windows, rectangular but blocked with smooth cement render; two first floor windows, similar fixed lights and vents to north elevation. SETTING: The building stands within its own grounds, facing onto the main street of the town, and set back slightly from it behind a small concrete surfaced forecourt. Front boundary formed by a low plinth wall, smooth cement rendered and painted with weathered coping, surmounted by original ornamental iron railings comprised of trefoil panels; central pedestrian gate of similar design; plinth and railings terminate at left-hand extremity in a square pier of snecked basalt rubble with smooth painted plinth and gabled capstones ornamented with cusping and small circular sinkings. Plinth and railings terminate at right-hand end with a pedestrian gate, of similar design to previous, linked to a square stone pier as previous. Boundary to east of forecourt is formed by a wet dash rendered wall without coping. Boundary to west of forecourt formed by a similar wall; with concrete coping. Extending to each side of entrance gable of front block are pedestrian gateways comprising original ironwork gates, of plainer design than previous, mounted on pairs of gabled stone piers as previous except both sets surmounted by original ironwork finials similar to those of main gable. Pathways along east and west side of front block have concrete surface; inner face of boundary wall to west side of passage is rendered with wet dash, which continues to rear boundary of site as an unrendered concrete blockwork wall. Corresponding wall to east is of basalt rubble, which continues to rear boundary of site. Rear boundary is of rubble stonework. To rear of building is a concrete path leading onto a grassed area.

Architects

Fennell, William J

Historical Information

Built in 1881-2 as a Masonic Hall to the designs of William J. Fennell; foundation stone laid by Sir Charles Lanyon. References – Primary Sources 1. Irish Builder, 1882, p 263. Secondary Sources 1. UAHS, Antrim and Ballymena (Belfast, 1969), p 9. 2. P. Larmour, 'Founding Father' (W. Fennell), Perspective, The Journal of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects, Vol 12, No 2, March-April 2003, pp 54-58.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This is a fine late 19th century building in Gothic Revival style, designed by a well known Irish architect, which retains a number of its original exterior and interior features, and together with its piers, gates and railings, forms an ornamental feature of interest on one of the main streets of the town.

General Comments

Date of Survey

06 November 2004