Orange Hall

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Functional, mainly single storey red brick Orange hall of 1912 by Charles A. Aickin, situated at the junction of the Moat Street and Union Street, on the N side Donaghadee town centre.

The front façade faces SW but for the purposes of this description this will be referred to as S.

The front façade is symmetrical and consists of a large gable flanked by ‘off shoots’. To the centre of the gabled section is the main entrance which consists of a relatively modern timber sheeted and glazed double door with large three light segmental headed fanlight. Above this is a decorative moulded keystone with moulded labels extending from either side. Above this, within the gable itself, is a segmental headed [?]stone panel which reads ‘Donaghadee LOL Orange and Protestant Hall 1912’. Above the panel there is label moulding and above this (to the gable apex) are three narrow nichés.

Two either side of the entrance are three segmental headed sash windows with obscured glazing. The outermost window to each side sits within the ‘off shoots’.

The E façade consists of a gabled projection to each end with a large recessed portion to the centre. The gables are of differing size with that to right larger and containing two storeys. The gable to left, (actually the E ‘off shoot’ referred to above), has a large central shallow recess with a segmental head. Within this recess is a small, somewhat worn, rectangular [?]stone panel which reads ‘Erected A.D. 1912’. To the gable apex are three small nichés, as front. There is a flag pole attached to this gable, and at ground level, there is a modern concrete and timber bench. To the short N face of this gabled projection there is a sash window, as front only narrower.

The central recessed section between the gables has four large segmental headed windows with mullioned and transomed frames, with a further window to far left, as front.

The right hand gable had four flat arch windows to the ground floor, each with sash frames apart from the second from left which is smaller and has a single pane frame. To the first floor are three sash windows, as those to ground floor only larger. There are three small nichés to the gable itself, as before but not as close to the apex. To the narrow S face of the projection there is a relatively modern timber sheeted and glazed door.

The W façade could not been seen in its entirety because to the proximity of neighbouring buildings. To the left is a large two storey gable similar to that to right on E façade. The first floor of this gable has four sash windows. The lower floor could not be observed. To the far right of the façade on of the gabled ‘off shots’ (see above) abuts the neighbouring property to the W. The long recessed portion to the centre of the façade has a blocked up (former) window opening to the right; the rest of this portion could not be seen.

The rear façade appears to be blank. It is abutted by the neighbouring property to the N.

The building has a beveled base and a dentilled eaves course. Part of the base to the E façade is rendered. The gabled roof is slated with red clay ridge tiles and finials. Brick chimney stack to N end. Cast iron rw goods.

Historical information

This Orange hall was built in 1912 to designs by Charles A. Aickin. It replaced two two storey houses, the corner of which (in its later years at least) was home to ‘The Cockatoo Inn’.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/12E/121/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1908-35
2 Linen Hall Library ‘The Irish Builder’ (1912), pp.199, 457
3 PRONI VAL/3G/69/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1932-56
4 PRONI VAL/3G/69/1/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1934-43

Secondary sources
1 W.G. Pollock, ‘Six miles from Bangor- The story of Donaghadee’ (Belfast 1975), p.23 [This book contains a photograph of 1898 showing the houses formerly on this site. No reference is provided for this photograph however.]
2 Hugh Dixon, Ken Kenmuir and Jill Kennett, ‘Historic buildings…Donaghadee and Portpatrick’ (Belfast 1977), p.12

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Functional, mainly single storey red brick Orange hall of 1912 by Charles A. Aickin.