Masonic Hall, 2 Church Square, Banbridge, Co Down, BT32 4AT

Masonic Hall, Church Square, Banbridge

This is a symmetrical, classically styled two-storey-over-basement three-bay Masonic Hall, originally built around 1848–49 as a church for the Second Congregation of Unitarians in Banbridge, to designs by Edward Gardner of Armagh. It was converted for use as a Masonic Hall around 1893. The building is rectangular in plan, with a later flat-roof extension to the southwest that is of no architectural interest. The roof is not visible from street level; the gables have pediments, and there is a rendered chimney stack. Cast-iron ogee-profile rainwater goods run on projecting eaves, with cast-iron hoppers and downpipes.

The walls are finished in painted smooth render on a contrasting plinth. Most windows are now infilled; those on the principal elevation are multi-paned timber casements, round-arched with apron panels at first-floor level, all set within double-height moulded surrounds, with projecting painted sills at ground-floor level.

The principal elevation faces southeast and is three bays wide at each floor. It is flanked by corner pilasters and surmounted by a plain entablature and a corniced pediment. At the centre of the pediment is an oculus containing a leaded and stained glass window bearing the Masonic square and compass. The pediment is topped by a carved lion on a granite plinth. At ground-floor centre is a replacement double-leaf eight-panelled timber door with a square-headed overlight, flanked by half-engaged pilasters and framed by a moulded architrave.

The southwest elevation is five windows wide, with two central windows infilled and rendered, and is abutted at ground-floor and basement level by the flat-roof extension. The northwest elevation has an infilled oculus to the pediment and a double-height leaded and stained glass window with secondary glazing; at basement level there is a four-paned uPVC window insertion to the right and a narrow uPVC window to the left. The northeast elevation has five infilled windows; a modern fire exit door at first- and ground-floor level gives access to an abutting metal staircase. The basement on this elevation has a modern fire exit door to the left and four replacement windows.

The roof is slated, the walls are smooth render, windows are a mix of timber and uPVC, and the rainwater goods are cast iron.

Origins and History

The foundation stone was laid on 20th October 1848 by David Lindsey JP of Ashfield, and the building opened for worship in May 1849. It was described at the time as being "of the Grecian style." Edward Gardner is little known as an architect and has no other recorded credits. The congregation that built the church had its origins in 1716 and first worshipped in a meeting house on the banks of the River Bann. Its minister from 1814, Rev Davis, opposed Dr Cooke in the subscription controversy and became the leader of a liberal faction within Presbyterianism. When Dr Cooke triumphed at the 1828 Synod, Mr Davis was appointed to draw up a Remonstrance — a historic document that gave its name to the Remonstrant Synod of Ulster, or the Unitarians. Davis was one of seventeen ministers who separated from the Synod of Ulster in 1830, the first Remonstrant Synod taking place that same year.

Rev Davis continued as minister until 1847. During his tenure, the First Unitarian or Non-subscribing Church of Banbridge was transferred from the Old Meeting House Green and rebuilt on Downshire Road in 1844–46. Davis was succeeded by Rev John Montgomery, but the appointment caused dissension: a section of the congregation who had favoured Rev C J McAlester of Holywood broke away and built this new church in Church Square in 1849. Griffith's Valuation of 1863 recorded the building as the "Second Unitarian Church," valued at £30, and noted the existence of a store beneath the building used for grass seed — a commodity widely traded in Banbridge at the time.

The congregation continued using the building as a church until the 1890s, when it reunited with the parent congregation on Downshire Road. It is worth noting that in 1871 Robert Cochrane (1846–1916), town surveyor of Banbridge and Dromore and Assistant County Surveyor of Down, had designed a two-storey Masonic Hall to be erected on a site donated by W. E. Reilly, but this project was never realised.

Conversion to Masonic Hall

In 1893 the Banbridge Masonic Body purchased the former church for £390 and converted it into a Masonic Hall. The reopening ceremony took place on 3rd October 1898 under the auspices of Brother Lord Arthur W Hill, Provincial Grand Master of Down, and the building was revalued at £38. Following conversion, the ground floor contained a vestibule, hall, reading room and committee room; the second floor provided spacious recreation rooms. The lodge room was described at the time as "a fine square apartment...with lofty panelled ceiling."

By 1901 the building housed two Masonic lodges: No. 119 Loyal Blue Lodge and No. 336 Union Bank Lodge, both meeting monthly. From around 1910, No. 296 Victoria Unity Lodge and Royal Arch Chapter No. 124 also met there. In 1928 the valuation was increased to £46 following the addition of a card room to the western facade. The First General Revaluation of 1933–34 assessed the hall at £60, at which point the accommodation comprised: on the ground floor, a vestibule and L-shaped refreshment room at the front, with an elaborately fitted lodge room, dining room and ante-room at the rear; on the first floor, a billiard room with two tables and a reading room above the front portion only; in the basement, a long supper room, lavatory accommodation, and the caretaker's quarters (kitchen, scullery and two bedrooms); and in the west wing, a well-finished and fitted card room with panelled dado. The caretaker's quarters were occupied rent-free. The valuer considered the hall "a substantially built and well finished building of plain exterior. In good condition of repair." The front portion of the hall and the card room were used as a social club by both masons and non-masons on payment of an annual subscription of £1.

An extension was added to the dining room in 1955, completed in 1957 at a cost of £3,500, doubling the room's accommodation. In 1969 the hall was described by Brett as "a fine stucco building, pediment (with oculus) surmounted by couchant lion, slim round-headed windows, interesting door and window mouldings." The building was listed in 1977. Subsequent works have included repairs to roofs, chimneys and windows; bomb damage necessitated further repairs in 1991, and new doors were fitted to the main building in the same year. While various renovations since listing have compromised the building's appearance to some degree and resulted in some loss of interior detail, it remains a good example of its type.

Setting

The hall is prominently sited at the centre of Church Square, flanked to the west by the former police barracks and to the east by Seapatrick Parish Church. The sergeant's house for the police barracks lies to the rear. The building is set back from the street behind a rubble stone boundary wall with dressed granite coping stones, modern metal gates, and square granite gate piers with instepped dressed granite caps.