HISTORIC BUILDING

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 156, 30 December 1940, Page 8

HISTORIC BUILDING

CITY LANDMARK

PREVIOUS NARROW ESCAPE

The destruction of the old Masonic Hall in Boulcott Street turns back the pages of Wellington's early history. In 1867 the Freemasons of Wellington, who for some time had experienced difficulty in finding suitable accommodation for their meetings, decided to build a hall for their own exclusive use, meetings hitherto having been held in Barrett's Hotel and elsewhere. Arrangements wei-e made to purchase a suitable site at a cost not exceeding £300 and to erect a building riot to exceed £500 in cost. The site finally chosen in Boulcott Street adjoined Captain Benson's property, and on June 24, 1867, the foundation-stone of I the new hall was laid. As this was to be the first hall erected in the city of Wellington by the craft, the occasion was celebrated in style. Further sums were added to that already voted and the hall was finished by the end of the year. A JOINT ENTERPRISE. It was built by the joint enterprise of the Pacific and Waterloo Lodges, Mr. C. J. Toxward, himself a Mason, being the architect. In this building all the .lodges of the city held their meetings, until suburban lodges were created with halls of their own. About 1886 alterations were made to the building, and again in 1905 more extensive alterations and additions were made to the existing hall from plans prepared by Mr. G. G. Schwartz. The rear part was practically rebuilt and the old main hall, used for dances and balls for nearly forty years, was enlarged. ' The whole of the interior was practic- \