Orange Hall, Queensway, Derriaghy, Lisburn, County Antrim, BT17 9EX

Orange Hall, Derriaghy

A two-storey three-bay red-brick Edwardian Orange Hall dated 1914, located on Queensway adjacent to the main Belfast to Lisburn road. The building has retained its simple modest character with little external alteration. It was erected during a period of significant development in the area and has served an important social function for the local community.

The hall has a rectangular plan form with an extensive single-storey rear return. The pitched natural slate roof is fitted with clay ridge tiles and finials, and features a red-brick chimney with corbelled upper course and tall clay pots. Timber barge boards with simple mouldings are present, though the fascia boards and rainwater goods have been replaced with uPVC.

The walling is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond with a projected plinth. Windows throughout are segmental-arched with timber frames and rolled glass. The ground floor features tripartite casement windows, whilst the first floor contains half sliding sashes with vertically divided lower sashes and leaded and stained glass upper sashes. Windows sit within rectangular masonry cills and moulded brick surrounds.

The principal north-west elevation is symmetrically arranged with a centrally positioned front entrance on the ground floor, screened by a modern roller shutter and set within a slightly projected gabled central bay. Above the segmental arch is a drip moulding. The first floor features a round-headed arched window with a bi-partite casement lower portion and margin panes, with a half-circle portion above containing margin panes and central fan-light-style leaded and stained glass. Flanking bays to either side match this arrangement with single tripartite windows to the ground floor and single windows directly above on the first floor.

A moulded plaque embedded into the walling reads: "Derriaghy L.O.L No. 135. Orange Hall. 1914."

The rear elevation is abutted by a wide single-storey hall with ridge level rising above the eaves height of the principal building. A single chimney serving the principal building is positioned centrally on the rear elevation, rising above the ridge line of the hall. The rear hall features a variety of windows and doors, some of which show evidence of alteration, and is served by a secondary chimney rising from the north-east face. The right gable contains a single first-floor window centrally located.

The building faces directly onto Queensway, a busy principal road. Opposite stands the Dunmurry Industrial Estate comprising industrial units of varying sizes. To the north are single-storey terrace cottages, with substantially larger two-storey residential development to the south and the railway beyond. The front of the site features a small lawn with a central tarmac path leading to the front door. The site is bounded to the sides by hedgerows and to the front by a masonry wall with cast iron gates and piers.

The Orange Hall first appears on the fourth edition Ordnance Survey map of 1920–1. A datestone dated 7th February 1914 records that the foundation stone was laid by Sir Milne Barbour (1868–1951), who was created a baronet in 1943. Barbour was grandson of William Barbour, founder of William Barbour & Sons Ltd, which at its height was the world's largest linen thread producer. Sir Milne served as Chairman and Managing Director of the family firms from 1905, and was elected Member of Parliament in 1922, later serving as a Minister in the Northern Ireland parliament.