Orange Hall, 1906-1969 Hamilton, Ontario

The first Orange lodges formed in Hamilton in the 1840s and held regular street parades to celebrate King William’s victory at the Battle of the Boyne on July 12, 1690 when he defeated the Jacobites and solidified British control. In 1905 they pooled their resources to construct a $20,000 hall to use for meetings. It was finished and dedicated on December 18, 1906. The front of the building is of pressed brick with stone trimmings including a bas-relief of King William on his white horse [although he actually rode a chestnut horse and could not have had his arm raised as it was injured] and a statue of Justice and the motto “Justice for All”. The building was designed by William Palmer Witton who also designed the Armouries and the addition to Christ’s Church Cathedral. Once one of the most prominent societies in Hamilton they declined in popularity in the late 20th century and the building was sold in 1969 to the Vasco da Gama Futebol Club...057-32022194828063