- Oddfellows' Hall, Chester
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Coordinates: 53°11′23″N 2°53′30″W / 53.1897°N 2.8916°W
Oddfellows' Hall, Chester 
Oddfellows' HallLocation: 16–24 Lower Bridge Street, Chester, Cheshire, England OS grid reference: SJ 406 660 Built: 1676 Built for: Lady Mary Calverley Architectural style(s): Neoclassical Listed Building – Grade II* Designated: 28 July 1955 Reference #: 1376299 
Location in CheshireOddfellows' Hall, originally Bridge House is located at 16–24 Lower Bridge Street, Chester, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.[1]
Contents
History
The hall was originally a town house built in 1676 for Lady Mary Calverley. She had petitioned the City Assembly for permission to demolish her house, which contained a section of the Chester Rows, and replace it with a new house. This was granted, but as it led to the loss of a portion of the Rows she was fined £20 (£2,700 as of 2011).[2][3] It was the first building in central Chester to be designed in classical style.[3] During the early 18th century the house was occupied by John Williams, a local attorney general. Since that time the building has been used for various purposes, including a school, a club, offices, and shops. The access to the building was altered in the late 19th century. Also in that century a sixth bay was added to the north, and in the later part of the century the ground floor was projected forward to incorporate shops.[1] As of 2011 it is in use as a restaurant and hotel.[4]
Architecture
The building is constructed in brick, rendered at the front, and it has a grey slate roof. It is in three storeys and has six bays. On the street level, the third bay from the south has a projecting entrance porch. On each side of its arched doorway is a pilaster, and above the doorway is a broken pediment, over which is a frieze inscribed with ODDFELLOWS HALL. The other bays in the ground floor contain modern frontages. The first and second floor bays are linked and articulated by a colossal order formed of superposed Doric pilasters, and each bay contains a sash window. At the top of the building a cornice is supported on square brackets.[1] The interior contains richly ornamented baroque decoration.[3]
References
- ^ a b c Oddfellows Hall, Chester (1376299). National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
- ^ UK CPI inflation numbers based on data available from Lawrence H. Officer (2010) "What Were the UK Earnings and Prices Then?" MeasuringWorth.
- ^ a b c Langtree, Stephen; Comyns, Alan, eds. (2001), 2000 Years of Building: Chester's Architectural Legacy, Chester: Chester Civic Trust, p. 107, ISBN 0-9540152-0-7
- ^ Oddfellows, Oddfellows, http://www.oddfellows.biz/, retrieved 1 November 2011
External links
Categories:- Buildings and structures in Chester
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire
- Neoclassical architecture in England
- Hotels in Cheshire
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