Portadown Town Hall
{{short description|Municipal Building in Portadown, Northern Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name =Portadown Town Hall
| native_name =
| image = Portadown Town Hall, Edward Street, Portadown. - geograph.org.uk - 574764.jpg
| caption= Portadown Town Hall
| locmapin =Northern Ireland
| map_caption =Shown in Northern Ireland
| coordinates ={{coord|54.4221|N|6.4418|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| location =Edward Street, Portadown
| area =
| built =1890
| architect = Robert and Thomas Roe
| architecture =Victorian style
| designation1 =Grade B1 Listed Building
| designation1_offname = Town Hall, Edward Street, Portadown, County Armagh
| designation1_date =14 August 1981
| designation1_number = HB 14/14/014
| website=
}}
Portadown Town Hall is a municipal structure in Edward Street, Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The structure, which is primarily used as a theatre, is a Grade B1 listed building.{{cite web|url= https://apps.communities-ni.gov.uk/Buildings/buildview.aspx?id=9120&js=false|title= Town Hall, Edward Street, Portadown, County Armagh (HB 14/14/014)|publisher=Department for Communities|access-date=22 November 2021}}
History
In the late 19th century the town commissioners for Portadown decided to procure various improvements to the town including the construction of new municipal buildings.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RnU2AQAAMAAJ&pg=PT3 |title=Notes of contracts open: Portadown|publisher= British Architect: A Journal of Architecture and Its Accessory Arts|volume=32|date=27 December 1889| access-date=22 November 2021}} The new building was designed by Robert and Thomas Roe in the Victorian style, built in red brick with terracotta dressings and was completed in 1890.{{cite web|url=https://www.dia.ie/architects/view/4637/ROE-ROBERT |title=Roe, Robert|publisher=Dictionary of Irish Architects| access-date=22 November 2021}} The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto Edward Street; the central bay featured, on the ground floor, a doorway flanked by pilasters and brackets supporting a balcony and, on the first floor, a French door, also flanked by pilasters, with a pediment containing a date stone and the inscription "Town Hall" above. The outer bays, which were gabled, were fenestrated by pairs of segmental windows on the ground floor and by pairs of rectangular windows on the first floor. Internally, the principal room was the main assembly hall.{{cite web|url=https://database.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/theatres/show/1461-town-hall-theatre-portadown |title= Town Hall Theatre|publisher=Theatres Trust| access-date=22 November 2021}}
The area was advanced to the status of urban district in 1899{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/handbookoflocalg00clan |title=A handbook of local government in Ireland; containing an explanatory introduction to the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898 : together with the text of the act, the orders in Council, and the rules made thereunder relating to county council, rural district council, and guardian's elections : with an index |date=1899 |first=John Joseph |last=Clancy |author-link=J. J. Clancy (North Dublin MP) |location=Dublin |publisher=Sealy, Bryers and Walker |page=441 }} and to municipal borough with the town hall as its headquarters in July 1947.{{London Gazette|issue=1361|page=179|date=25 July 1947|city=b}} A mayoral chain was commissioned and presented to the council by the local rose breeder, Mrs Sam McGredy: the chain was made from gold medals awarded to the family for rose breeding.{{cite web|url=https://portadownphotos.co.uk/YouTube%20Links.htm |title= Granting of Royal Charter of Borough to Portadown 1947|publisher=Portadown Photos| access-date=22 November 2021}} The town hall was also used for public events from an early stage and performers included the Irish singer, Bridie Gallagher, in May 1952.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=IwiWDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT270 |title= Bridie Gallagher |first= Jim |last=Livingstone|publisher=Collins Press|year=2015|isbn= 978-1848892576}}{{cite web|url= https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1952-05-01/1952-05-31?basicsearch=%22variety%20theatre%22&phrasesearch=variety%20theatre&exactsearch=false&retrievecountrycounts=false&sortorder=score&newspapertitle=portadown%2Bnews |title=Ulster Variety Theatres: Town Hall|newspaper=Portadown News|date=31 May 1952| access-date=22 November 2021}}
The building continued to serve as the meeting place of the urban district council for much of the 20th century,{{London Gazette|issue=2710|page=293|date=4 June 1971|city=b}} but ceased to be the local seat of government after the enlarged Craigavon Borough Council was formed in 1973.{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1972/9/contents |title= Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972|publisher=Legislation.co.uk| access-date=4 May 2021}} It was subsequently converted for use as a theatre{{cite web|url=http://www.discovercraigavon.com/section_specific.aspx?title=Conferencing&title2=Portadown%20Area&dataid=373385 |title=Portadown Town Hall|publisher=Discover Craigavon|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710132928/http://www.discovercraigavon.com/section_specific.aspx?title=Conferencing&title2=Portadown%20Area&dataid=373385| access-date=22 November 2021|archive-date=10 July 2011}} and became a regular venue for the local production company, the Gateway Theatre Group.{{cite news|url= https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-news/dick-whittington-set-take-over-12425752 |title= Dick Whittington set to take over Portadown Town Hall|date=9 January 2017|newspaper=Belfast Live| access-date=22 November 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Government buildings in Northern Ireland}}
{{City and town halls in Ireland}}
Category:Government buildings completed in 1890
Category:City and town halls in Northern Ireland