Ederney Town Hall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ederney Town Hall
Ederney Town Hall
Location	Market Street, Ederney
Built	1839
Architect	William Deane Butler
Architectural style(s)	Neoclassical style
Listed Building – Grade B1
Official name: The Old Market House, Ederney, County Fermanagh
Designated	20 June 1984
Reference no.	HB 12/14/005
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Ederney Town Hall is an important building located on Market Street in Ederney, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is also known as Ederney Townhall. This historic building is used today for many community events. It is also a special "Grade B1 listed building", which means it is protected because of its history and unique design.

History of Ederney Town Hall

Ederney Town Hall was originally built as a market house. This means it was a place where local people could gather to buy and sell goods. Reverend William James West, who lived nearby, ordered the building to be constructed for the community.

Building Design and Features

The building was designed by an architect named William Deane Butler. He created it in the Neoclassical style, which was popular in the 1800s. This style often uses ideas from ancient Greek and Roman buildings. The Town Hall was finished in 1839.

The front of the building, facing Market Street, is very balanced. It has three main sections. The middle section has a wide, rounded archway. This archway is decorated with a special frame called an architrave. On either side of the archway are two narrower openings, also with architraves.

Upstairs, there are large sash windows, also with decorative frames. Above the central archway, there is an open triangular section called a pediment. Inside this pediment, you can see a clock. The roof has a decorative edge and slopes down on all sides, which is called a hip roof.

On the side facing Ardvarney Road, there is another archway similar to the front. Upstairs on this side, there is a large, fancy window with three parts, known as a Venetian window. Inside, the ground floor was the market hall, and the first floor was an assembly hall for meetings and events.

Changes Over Time

In 1889, the open archways on the ground floor were filled in. The building then became a civic meeting place for the town. The assembly room upstairs was used as a school room for children. It also hosted many community events. Even the local Ederney Masonic Lodge held their meetings there.

The Town Hall continued to be a busy place for events into the early 1900s. However, by the middle of the 20th century, fewer people were using it. By the 1970s, it was mostly just used to store furniture.

Restoration and New Purpose

Over time, the building started to fall into disrepair. But the local community really wanted to save it. After a big effort by local people, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council bought the building in 1989. They then completely restored it, making it look new again while keeping its historic charm.

Today, Ederney Town Hall is home to the Ederney Community Development Trust. This group helps organize and promote many different activities and events inside the building for everyone in the community to enjoy.