Protestant Hall

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Description on 24.11.2010

A two-storey, rectangular plan with frontispiece Victorian hall dated 1870, built to designs by Robert McConnell. Located in the centre of Glenavy town, opposite Glenavy Methodist Church (HB19/01/008).

Pitched slate roof with clay ridge tile; overhanging eaves with replacement uPVC soffits and replacement barge boards; originally added c.1970; replacement uPVC rainwater goods throughout. Smooth render walling with yellow-brick pilasters, plinth course, surrounds, corbel and string course. Rubble masonry with red brick dressings to north elevation. 1/1 round-headed arched timber sliding sash windows embraced by an ordered surround of moulded bricks. Replacement timber double door with semi-circle fan-light over having similar surrounds to windows and additional keyblock.

The principal gable end faces east and is symmetrically arranged in Italianate style. There are three openings to each floor; to centre, the principal entrance is surmounted by a rectangular panel inscribed ‘Glenavy’ and a rose window, all contained within a double height arch formed from Giant order brick pilasters and archivolt; there is a round-arched-headed window to either side at each floor. Corners are articulated by twinned Giant order pilasters with plain entablature; the whole arrangement is bisected by a rendered fascia inscribed “PROTESTANT HALL”, with diamond pointed panels to outer pilasters. The date ‘1870’ is affixed to the gable apex.

The north elevation is four windows wide with pilaster arrangement wrapping around east corner; square-headed (blocked up) to ground floor; round-headed 1/1 sliding sash to first floor. Remains of a brick chimney flue.

The rear gable is smooth rendered; single window opening to the ground floor; blocked up.

The south elevation is four windows wide smooth rendered with alterations to the existing openings on the ground floor. uPVC replacement window to the far right first floor.

Setting:

Set back from the building line of the main thoroughfare with space between adjacent buildings either side. The front of the site is bounded with a rendered wall with a mild steel gate centrally located with five-pointed star; rubble masonry to the rear and sides with rendered piers to the south. Modern housing development encompassing the south and east; new housing development to the west adjacent to the Methodist Church (HB19/01/008); two-storey mixed use pitched roof buildings to the north

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Smooth render, yellow brick/rubble masonry, red brick
Windows: 1/1 timber sliding sash
RWG: uPVC replacemen

Description on 12.04.2010 is as for 24.11.2010 except for the following changes.

All of the windows that were previously timber sliding sash have been changed to uPVC fixed or top hung type. The verge and eaves soffits have also been changes to uPVC as have the rain water goods. The downpipes have had protective galvanised steel channels added.

Historical information

The Protestant Hall in Glenavy was officially opened in 1872 and was built for use as a meeting place for the Protestant community in Glenavy. The hall first appeared on the third edition of the Ordnance Survey maps in 1901-02 as a square building situated opposite the Methodist Church (HB 19/01/009) on Glenavy’s Main Street.

The foundation stone was laid in April 1870 by the Rev. Dean Stannus, during which the Minister stated that the hall was intended for ‘lectures, soirees, religious and other meetings in connection with all protestant denominations.’ The hall cost an estimated £750 and was constructed by a Mr. Robert McConnell who originally intended to have it completed by 1st October 1870. The hall was officially opened on 6th July 1872 by Mr. Edward O’Neill, the M.P. for South Antrim. Opened in the wake of the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland by William Gladstone, O’Neill stressed the importance of a non-denominational Protestant Hall in strengthening the recently undermined protestant community in Ireland (Belfast Newsletter, 30 April 1870; 3 July 1872; 8 July 1872).

The Annual Revisions valued the hall at £16 and noted that it was administered by the trustees of Glenavy’s Orange Lodge and after 1878 by the ‘trustees of Glenavy’s Protestant Hall.’ In 1892 Watson recorded that the Protestant Hall was capable of holding 500 persons and consisted of a large hall on the first floor and a committee room, two lodge rooms and a caretaker’s apartments on the ground floor; the hall also included a billiards room and a reading room (Watson).

The Protestant Hall was used for a variety of purposes; in 1875 a lecture explaining the Landlord and Tenant Act was held in the upper hall and in 1877 a fundraising bazaar was organised in order to clear the hall’s remaining debt of £250. The building was also utilised as a venue for social dances and concerts, for example a concert for soldiers serving in the First World War was held in December 1916 (Belfast Newsletter, 14 October 1875; 15 June 1877; 8 December 1916). In 1912 the hall was the meeting place of the Ulster Unionist Club who organised the arrangements for the signing of the Solemn League and Covenant in Glenavy; it was estimated that over 350 people signed the Covenant in the hall on Ulster Day (Glenavy History Website).

The hall was also used as the meeting place for the local Orange Order; originally designated L. O. L. 471, the local lodge was established on 30th April 1855 and previous to the construction of the hall on Main Street met in a local school house. The first Worshipful Masters of the Lodge were Brothers Daniel Allan, Adolphus Charters, John Lorrimer and Langford Geddes, however the longest serving Master of the Lodge’s history was Dr. Arthur Mussen (1842-1930) who held the position between 1874 and 1930. From 1872 the lodge met in the newly constructed Hall on Main Street. In 1887 the Lodge changed their number to L. O. L. 227, a designation formerly held by a Lodge in Ballyvannon (A history of Orangeism in the Glenavy District). In 1892 a short history of Glenavy recorded that Dr. Mussen led a Lodge consisting of 227 members (Watson). In commemoration of the leadership of Dr. Mussen, L. O. L. 227 became known as the ‘Doctor’s Lodge.’ Mussen was later appointed to the position of Grand Secretary of County Antrim in 1888, a post which he held for over 30 years (The life and times of Dr. Arthur Mussen). Dr. Mussen served as Worshipful Master of Glenavy Lodge until his death in 1930; prior to his death a memorial was erected in the hall in 1920 to commemorate his many years of service to the Order and the people of Glenavy (A history of Orangeism in the Glenavy District). In the aftermath of the First World War a second memorial was installed within the Protestant Hall to commemorate local volunteers. It read ‘Erected by Glenavy Loyal Orange Lodge. In honour of those of their members who served in the Great War, 1914-1918’ and listed 96 of their number who had served including 21 who had died at the front.

In 1967, shortly before the centenary of the Hall a fund raising scheme was established to reconstruct and renovate the hall over a three year period. In 1970 as part of these restoration works a new wooden floor was installed in the upper hall of the building; this floor had been taken from a Nissen hut set up during the Second World War to house American Soldiers; the current modern kitchen, which was installed in a former storeroom, may also have been added as part of this work. The hall has recently undergone a further series of renovations during which the roof was restored. Glenavy Protestant Hall continues to be used as a meeting place for the local Orange Lodge as well as local social events and is a significant building in the political, religious and social history of the village of Glenavy.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI VAL/1/A/1/59 – Field Map c.1830
2. PRONI VAL/1/B/171 – Townland Valuation
3. PRONI OS/6/1/59/1 – First Edition OS Map 1832-33
4. PRONI OS/6/1/59/2 – Second Edition OS Map 1858
5. PRONI OS/6/1/59/3 – Third Edition OS Map 1901-1902
6. PRONI OS/6/1/59/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1920-1921
7. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/58 – Griffith’s Valuation 1859
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/4 A – Annual Revisions 1869-1881
9. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/4 B – Annual Revisions 1881-1894
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/4 C – Annual Revisions 1894-1911
11. PRONI VAL/12/B/8/4 D – Annual Revisions 1912-1929
12. Lisburn Herald, 1912.

Secondary Sources
1. Watson, C. W., ‘Glenavy: Past and Present’ Belfast: Linenhall Works, 1892.
2. ‘The life and times of Dr. Arthur Mussen M.D., J.P., Glenavy, County Antrim 1842-1931’ ‘The Digger:’ Pamphlet, 2009.
3. ‘A history of Orangeism in the Glenavy District – A Tercentenary Booklet: 1690-1990’ (Pamphlet).

Online Resources
1. Glenavy History Website - http://www.glenavyhistory.com.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A two-storey, rectangular plan with frontispiece Victorian hall dated 1870, built to designs by Robert McConnell, located in the centre of Glenavy. Externally the front elevation has retained much of its character displaying Italianate style, proportions and materials typical of this period. It is of interest to the local community and has historical interest owing to its connection to the Orange Order and the prominent local figure of Dr Mussen who served as the District Master. Early twenty first century alterations have, however, degraded its architectural interest and it is not of listable quality.

General comments

In Glenavy Area of Village Character