Description

983/0/10055 ST MARY'S STREET
26-AUG-03 76
St Mary's Hall

II
Masonic lodge, later public library and temperance hall. 1884 incorporating earlier work internally at ground level, to the designs of William Burrough Hill. Brick with cement-rendered front, flat roof. Long, narrow hall with small balcony and ancillary side rooms erected over earlier stabling, and incorporating ground-floor stabling and kitchens to the adjoining Kingsland Tavern, to which it was attached until 1888. Secondary access to Johnson Street added in 1908.
Three-bay frontage to St Mary's Street has central door with three large windows above. These in aediculed and pedimented surrounds with console brackets; segmental arched heads to flanking windows, central window with full pediment and keystones. Pedimented doorcase with brackets and keystones. The upper part of the cement banding to the original blind ground floor survives above later shopfronts; shopfronts were first installed in 1886 to left and in 1892 to right.
Interior. Stairs lead from entrance straight to first-floor hall. To the side of this a small flight of 1884 continues to slightly curved timber balcony over. High hall has central glazed lantern with timber surrounds with dentils, moulded in the form of triglyphs. Moulded plaster cornice and frieze, particularly elaborate in area over balcony. Reeded doorcase to former bar to south, originally linked to tavern, may incorporate earlier work. Simpler door of 1908 to back stairs.
St Mary's Hall was built as a lodge, but in 1888 was adapted as Southampton's first free public library, opened 15 January 1889 at a rental of £70 p.a. from Forders Brewery. In 1905 it became a temperance hall.
Included as a rare example of an 1880s freemasons' lodge, with added historical interest in being Southampton's first free public library and later a temperance hall. An unusually well-documented and complete surviving Victorian hall.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26673073

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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