Freemasons Hotel, Bridgetown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Freemasons Hotel |
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The main street of Bridgetown with the Freemasons Hotel on the right
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| General information | |
| Type | Australian pub |
| Location | Bridgetown, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 33°57′30″S 116°08′14″E / 33.9583°S 116.1373°E |
| Designated | 9 February 1996 |
| Reference no. | 248 |
The Freemasons Hotel is a historic building in Bridgetown, Western Australia. It is located at 2 Steere Street, right on the corner of Hampton Street. This hotel is listed on the State Register of Heritage Places, meaning it is an important part of Western Australia's history.
Contents
The First Freemasons Hotel Building
The very first Freemasons Hotel in Bridgetown was not in the same spot as the one today. It was originally called the Warner Hotel. This first hotel was located at the corner of Hampton Street and Phillips Street.
In 1898, a man named Frederick Stanforth Warner was given permission to open a hotel there. The building was likely partly finished by 1899. The Warner Hotel officially opened its doors in July 1900. Frederick Warner was the owner and manager at that time.
In November 1901, a special visitor came to Bridgetown. This was Sir Arthur Lawley, who was the Governor of Western Australia. He was visiting for the Nelson Agricultural Show. During his visit, he officially renamed the Warner Hotel to the Freemasons Hotel.
Around 1900, P. Diprose took over running the hotel. Soon after, in 1902, Robert Arthur John Crawford became the manager. By 1903, a company called Bunning Bros owned the hotel.
Moving to a New Location
The first Freemasons Hotel was not very busy. This was because it was quite far from the main part of town. Also, the new Bridgetown railway station had just been built, and the hotel was not close to it.
Because of this, Robert Bunning, from Bunning Bros, bought a new piece of land. This land was in the very center of Bridgetown. It was at the corner of Hampton Street and Steere Street, right across from the Mechanics' Institute.
In 1902, P. Diprose wanted to move the hotel's operating permit to a new building on this central land. However, his request to move the permit was not approved. Plans for a new hotel building were ready by May 1903. But again, the permit for this new location was not given in June 1903.
Building the Current Hotel
By March 1904, Bunning Bros started building the new hotel. This is the Freemasons Hotel building we see today. The hotel's operating permit was finally moved to the new building in 1904. The old hotel building was then left empty.
An opening dinner was held at the new Freemasons Hotel on November 4, 1904. On March 14, 1905, a woman named Elizabeth Hurst rented the hotel for ten years. More building work was finished by late 1906. This added two shop fronts on Steere Street. There were also more rooms for guests above these shops.
Changes and Updates Over Time
The Freemasons Hotel has been updated several times since it was first built. In 1939, the hotel was made bigger along Hampton Street. It was also renovated inside.
In 1992, more changes were made inside the hotel. Some brick walls were removed or changed. A fireplace was taken out, and the kitchen and toilets were upgraded. In 2002, new plans were suggested by an architect named D. Singe. These plans included adding a liquor store inside the hotel. They also wanted to create an outdoor dining area next to the bar. The hotel closed in January 2004 to get ready for these planned renovations.
In 2013, the hotel received a grant of $86,136 from the State Heritage Commission. This money helped pay for half the cost of replacing the roof. In January 2017, a truck crashed into the hotel. This damaged part of the verandah's support, balcony wood, and railing. These damaged parts were replaced later that same year.
