Portstewart Town Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Portstewart Town Hall |
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Portstewart Town Hall
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| Location | The Crescent, Portstewart |
| Built | 1934 |
| Architect | Benjamin Cowser |
| Architectural style(s) | Modernist style |
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Listed Building – Grade B2
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| Official name: Town Hall, The Crescent, Portstewart, County Londonderry | |
| Designated | 3 April 1992 |
| Reference no. | HB 03/08/007 |
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The Portstewart Town Hall is an important building located in The Crescent, Portstewart, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It's a special kind of building called a Grade B2 listed building, which means it's protected because of its history and design. Sadly, the building has been closed to the public since December 2019.
Contents
History of Portstewart Town Hall
Why a Town Hall Was Needed
Portstewart grew a lot in the early 1900s, especially because many people visited for seaside holidays. Because the town was getting bigger, it became an "urban district" in 1916. This meant it had its own local government, like a small town council, to manage things.
In the late 1920s, the leaders of this new council decided they needed a proper place to meet and work. A local landowner, Commander Robert Acheson Cromie Montagu, offered a piece of land for the new building. The council paid £1,000 for a long lease on the land in 1933.
Building the Town Hall
The famous architect Benjamin Cowser designed the new town hall. He used a modern style for the building. It was built by F. B. McKee & Co. from Belfast using red bricks and concrete. The whole project cost £8,000.
The Portstewart Town Hall was officially opened on May 30, 1935, by Lady Craigavon.
What the Building Looked Like
The town hall had a very balanced design with eleven sections facing The Crescent. The middle part stuck out a little and had a main entrance with a concrete frame. On either side of the door, there were three windows.
Upstairs, there were five windows and a large metal balcony. The parts of the building on the sides had tall, narrow windows. At the top, there was a concrete border, a sloped roof, and a small tower in the middle. Inside, the main rooms were the council chamber on the ground floor and a concert hall upstairs. The concert hall could hold 380 people for events.
Changes Over the Years
For many years, the town hall was where the local council met. But in 1973, a bigger council called Coleraine Borough Council was formed, and the town hall was no longer the main government building.
The building was updated in 1973. In 2000, the old metal balcony was replaced with a large concrete sign that said "Portstewart Town Hall." The building also became home to the local public library and the Big Telly Theatre Company. It was a popular place for community events. The theatre company moved to a new location in 2015.
Why the Town Hall Closed
In 2019, a check of the building showed that it was not safe. The local council, Causeway Coast and Glens Council, decided not to pay for the repairs. The Montagu estate, which owned the land, felt that the councils had not taken good care of the building.
Because of this, the Montagu estate told the council to leave, and the building closed in November 2019. The public library, which used to be in the town hall, found a new home on Station Road and reopened there in January 2022.
