THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: New Comber Orange Order and Protestant Hall very much a community affair
The Reverend J D Crawford of Hillhall had officiated at the official opening of the new Orange Order and Protestant Hall in the Co Down town of Comber reported the News Letter on this day in 1877.
It was noted by the paper that the hall was to provide a meeting place for a number of lodges including 244, White Flag, 567, Old Standard, 1035, True Blues, and 1037, Goldsprings.
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Hide AdThe construction of the hall had been very much a community affair, reported the News Letter and that some 200 Orange brethren “went to work to supply the desideratum” which culminated that day with the opening of the hall.
During the service officiated by Rev Crawford portion of the 44th Psalm was sung by the congregation led by the choir under the instruction of Mr W J MacDonald before the Rev Crawford engaged in prayer after which he read from the 12th chapter of Romans, meanwhile he took for his sermon the text “Fight the good fight of faith” (First Timothy, vi, 12).
It was noted that the foundation stone had been laid in September 1875 by Captain Claude Brownlow of the Armagh Light Infantry with the architect for the project being A H de Wind Esq, the engineer of the Belfast and County Down Railway Company.
It was noted that Mr de Wind had also supervised the construction of the work and had given of his time freely.
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Hide AdMeanwhile the Orange and Protestant farmers of the neighbourhood had sent their horses and carts and had drawn stones from Messrs Ritchie and Jackson’s quarries at Scrabo and a great deal of the joiners and other work had also been voluntarily.