Johnston Memorial Orange Hall

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 19thC Orange Hall with projecting entrance porch aligned N-S on the S side of Main Street, Newtownbutler.

Pitched artificial slate roof with a red brick chimney to S gable. A timber eaves board supports plastic rainwater goods. Walls are harled with dressed stone quoins over a cement rendered base course. All openings are sheeted over for security reasons (unless otherwise stated).

N elevation is almost completely abutted by a large projecting entrance porch. The exposed section is blank. Porch has a pitched natural slate roof and ashlar stone walls over a chamfered base course. Rainwater goods are metal over advanced stone eaves. N face is flanked by two stage angle buttresses with stepped offsets. To centre is a lancet window with a flush splayed stone cill. Above is a datestone inscribed ‘The / Johnston Memorial / Orange Hall / 1889’. Left and right cheeks each have a Gothic-headed door (that to left is timber sheeted, that to right is metal sheeted). Each has a fixed pane trefoil window over.

E elevation is three openings wide. All are tall narrow 1x3 timber top-hung casements with dressed stone reveals except that to left which is 1x2 with a modern six panelled door directly beneath.

S gable is blank.

W elevation is abutted by a lower full-length annexe. The exposed section is blank. The annexe is detailed as main block (without quoins) with a monopitched roof. S cheek is blank. W face has four infilled window openings. N cheek has a boarded window opening set to left.

Setting:
The Orange Hall has a paved area to front, enclosed from the road by a cast-iron railing set on a cement-rendered wall.

Historical information

A Weslyan Methodist Chapel is first cited in the 1860 Valuation book at this location. It is described as being well built and of dressed stone, and measured 30ft x 45ft x 2 storeys, with a 15ft x 9ft a 1 storey porch. The datestone atttests to the change of use to an Orange Hall in 1889. The original building is probably incorporated.

Primary sources:
1. First Valuation town map, c.1836 (PRONI VAL 1D/4/4).
2. First Valuation book, 1836 (PRONI VAL 1B/411A).
3. Second Valuation book, Galloon Parish, Clones Union, 1860 (PRONI VAL 2B/4/7F, p.30).
4. Second Valuation town map, c.1860 (PRONI VAL 2D/4/8, plot 19).
5. Valuation Revision book, 1902 (PRONI VAL 12B/25/9D, p.92).
6. Datestone on hall.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A 19thC roadside Orange Hall with datestone, which has few external features of interest.