Masonic Hall

Masonic Hall, originally an archaeological museum, was built in 1878 and altered in the late 20th century. The building is constructed of brick with orange brick and ashlar dressings, topped with Welsh slate roofs. It features a chamfered brick plinth and dentilated eaves. The two-storey street elevation has a gabled front and a projecting porch with dentilated white brick eaves and ornate cast iron balcony railings. The porch is framed by an ashlar surround with black marble columns, foliate capitals, and a triangular head adorned with a circular red marble ornament. The entrance consists of a four-panel door with an overlight, flanked by single plain sash windows that have ashlar lintels decorated with incised strap work and central circular red marble ornaments. Above the entrance, there is a pair of tall plain sash windows divided by a central black marble column with a foliate capital; these windows have triangular heads featuring red and black fish scale tiles and circular red marble ornaments. The gable displays a diamond-shaped plaque inscribed with the date 1878, along with a dentilated band beneath ornate bargeboards. The side elevations are divided into five panels by plain orange brick pilasters, with a dentilated cill band and a plain brick band above. The east side retains four windows and a blocked opening, all with triangular polychromatic brick heads, while the west elevation has one similar window and three blocked openings, also with triangular polychromatic brick heads. This hall was built for J R Mortimer as the first purpose-built museum of archaeology, where he showcased his collection of artifacts from his pioneering digs in the area. It was converted into a Masonic Hall after the collection was sold to Hull City Council in 1918. The building is listed for its significant historical importance as an early museum of archaeology.