Odds Fellows Hall

Odds Fellows Hall (also known as Oddfellows' Hall) is a former friendly society hall in Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire, England. It was constructed in 1864 by the Barton Lodge of the Odd Fellows Society at a cost of £1,000. The building is a Grade II Listed structure, noted for its Palazzo style architecture with red brick and yellow-grey brick walls and a Welsh slate roof. Over its history, the hall has served multiple purposes: it was repurposed as Barton's first cinema, the "Electric Picture Theatre", around 1911, showing silent movies; later it was used by a theatre company, as a roller skating rink in the 1930s, and as a dance hall during the Second World War. After the war, the large hall was divided into offices for the Ministry of Labour and other governmental departments, with a public library on the ground floor. Currently, the top half of the building, containing the hall, stands empty, while the divided ground floor serves as private apartments. A blue plaque was erected by the Barton Civic Society to highlight its former function. Repairs were undertaken following a council enforcement order in October 2024.

The Oddfellows' Hall in Barton-upon-Humber was built in 1864 by the Barton Lodge of the Odd Fellows Society, specifically the Good Design Lodge, at a cost of £1,000. It was designed in Palazzo style with red brick and yellow-grey brick walls and a Welsh slate roof. The building is two storeys, with the upper floor divided into five bays on its long side and three on its narrow side, separated by articulated yellow-grey brick pilasters. The ground floor has four-pane segmented sash windows, while the upper floor has paired semi-circular headed sash windows with a large eight-pane window in the centre of the long side. All windows are below grey brick arches. It has a stepped red and blue brick cornice with overhanging eaves. The building was listed for "historic reasons as an unusually grand and architecturally pretentious friendly society hall". Around 1911, the hall was repurposed as Barton's first cinema, the "Electric Picture Theatre", showing silent movies. Later it was used by a theatre company, and in the 1930s it operated as a roller skating rink. During the Second World War, it served as a dance hall. After the war, the large hall was divided into offices for the Ministry of Labour and other governmental departments, with a public library on the ground floor. Currently, the top half of the building, containing the hall, stands empty, while the divided ground floor comprises private apartments. A blue plaque was erected on the building by the Barton Civic Society to highlight its former function. Repairs were undertaken following a council enforcement order in October 2024.

• 2024

  Repairs were undertaken following a council enforcement order in October 2024.

• 1945

  After the war, the large hall was divided into offices for the Ministry of Labour and other governmental departments, with a public library on the ground floor.

• 1939

  During the Second World War, the hall was used as a dance hall.

• 1930

  The hall was used as a roller skating rink.

• 1911

  The hall was repurposed as Barton's first cinema, the "Electric Picture Theatre", showing silent movies.

• 1864

  The hall was built by the Barton Lodge of the Odd Fellows Society at a cost of £1,000.

1. 1Odds Fellows Hall - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Oddfellows' Hall, Barton-upon-Humber - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org