Oddfellows Home Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oddfellows Home Hotel |
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Oddfellows Home Hotel, 2015
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| Location | corner of Wood and Wantley Streets, Warwick, Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1876 - |
| Official name: Oddfellows Home Hotel (former), Harp of Erin | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 6 July 2004 |
| Reference no. | 602199 |
| Significant period | 1876 (fabric, historical) 1950s (historical) |
| Significant components | hotel / inn, hostel |
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The Oddfellows Home Hotel is a historic building in Warwick, Australia. It used to be a hotel and was built starting in 1876. You can find it at the corner of Wood and Wantley Streets. This building is also known as the Harp of Erin. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on July 6, 2004, because of its important history and unique features.
Contents
A Look Back at the Oddfellows Home Hotel
How the Hotel Started
The building we know as the Oddfellows Home Hotel was built in 1876. It was made of timber and constructed for a man named Louis Muller. The land it sits on was first bought in 1861 by John May.
Warwick became an official town in 1861. Over the next 20 years, it grew into an important regional center. This growth meant more people, and more hotels were needed to serve them. The Oddfellows Home Hotel was one of these new places.
Louis Muller, who built the hotel, had been a miner before moving to Warwick. He first worked as a hotel manager in Warwick in 1873. In April 1876, Muller applied for a license for his "new house" on Wood and Wantley Streets. The building wasn't finished yet, so he had to wait.
Opening Day and the Oddfellows Name
Five months later, in September 1876, Louis Muller announced his hotel was open. He advertised it as a "large and comfortable" place for guests. It promised "every comfort" and "Genuine Liquors."
Muller was a key member of a group called the Rose Lodge of Oddfellows in Warwick. The Oddfellows were a friendly society, like a club, that helped its members. Muller named his hotel after this group. Even though meetings might not have been held there, the hotel clearly had a connection to the Oddfellows.
Changes Over the Years
When Louis Muller passed away in 1886, his wife, Frances Muller, took over the hotel license. She managed it until 1889. After that, the hotel had several different owners and managers over the years.
Around 1897, when Bernard Hughes owned the property, the hotel got a new name: the Harp of Erin. It kept this name for many years. In 1905, after Catherine Stephens, another owner, passed away, the property was managed by a trust.
More people managed the hotel until Mary Cantwell became the hotelkeeper in 1918. Her husband, Daniel Cantwell, later became the owner.
From Hotel to Community Hub
In 1949, Daniel Cantwell passed away, and the building stopped operating as a hotel. It was then used to provide simple, affordable places to stay for people who needed them. Some changes were made inside the building during the 1950s.
In 1977, the building was sold to the Churches of Christ. For about ten years, it continued to offer shelter for people. Today, the Oddfellows Home Hotel is used as a meeting place and a center for local community activities.
What the Hotel Looks Like
The Oddfellows Home Hotel is a single-story timber building. It has a hipped roof made of corrugated iron. The building is shaped like a "U" and is located close to the street corners of Wantley Street and Wood Street.
Building Materials and Style
The hotel was built in different stages, and some parts have been changed over time. It's made of timber and sits on low stumps. The outside walls are covered with wide timber boards called chamfer boards. The oldest parts of the building have very wide chamfer boards.
The roof is steeply sloped and made of painted corrugated iron. The hotel originally had verandahs, which are like covered porches. These front verandahs were later enclosed but have since been removed. A newer verandah is at the back of the building.
Outside Features
The side of the building facing Wood Street has three sets of timber French doors with small windows above them. These are next to double-hung windows. You can also see two brick chimneys sticking out of the roof.
The main entrance to the building is at the street corner. It has a pair of timber doors with a small window above them, leading directly inside.
Inside the Building
The part of the building facing Wantley Street, including the corner room, is now one large space. Many of the original inside walls have been taken down. There's a hatch in the floor that leads to a small basement area.
A brick fireplace is in the middle of the corner room. This fireplace is part of a double fireplace that also faces into a large room used for meetings. This meeting room has three sets of French doors and another fireplace. A kitchen is located next to this room.
The eastern part of the building was added later. It has narrower timber boards on the outside and vertical timber boards on the inside. This section has four rooms that can be reached from the back verandah.
Some parts of the building are still being worked on. Doors and windows have been removed or changed, and new openings have been created. Some floors have been repaired, and steel beams have been added where walls were removed.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The former Oddfellows Home Hotel was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on July 6, 2004, for several important reasons:
- It shows how Queensland's history developed. The hotel was built in 1876 when Warwick was growing into a major regional center. It helps us understand how towns like Warwick grew and changed over time.
- It shows what early Queensland hotels were like. This building is a good example of how hotels were built in Queensland a long time ago. It's one of the oldest surviving hotels in Warwick.
- It has special beauty and value. Even though it has been changed over the years, many of the original parts of the building are still there. This gives it a unique look and makes it an important part of Warwick's history and character.
