armagh

"Court House" or Town Hall ? Or both ?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portadown_Town_Hall

Re the Town Hall -
"... its twin gables have dragon
finials which recall the coat of arms
of the Dukes of Manchester, then the
owners of much of the town. The
architects (T&R Roe of Belfast) were
very up-to-date in choosing the Dutch
artisan - mannerist style popularised by
the English architect Norman Shaw in
the 1880s. ..."

Re the YMI -
"... The cheerfully polychrome brick
building – former Institute (10) dates
from 1883 or earlier. Built mainly in
yellow brick, it has window and door
facings in red brick and ornamental
lines of black brick on the door arches,
chimneys and under the eaves. The
painted cast iron pillars by the main
doors have cast iron capitals which
seem to have been forgotten at first
and hastily added later - upside down!
Perhaps this is why no architect’s name
is recorded. The modern ultra-secure
metal window frames look incongruous
enough among this Victoriana. Its first
use was as a Young Men’s Institute or
club, with a reading room, assembly hall
and so on; it also offered a temporary
home to the public library between 1893
and 1904. Since then the building has
been used in turn by the Methodist
church, the local income tax authorities,
and is now part of the police station... "

From page 8 - www.craigavonhistoricalsociety.org.uk/museum/Portadown_To...

So after 1904 when the Public Library left ?

maps.app.goo.gl/JqYJQK2TzzNPFxcg7?g_st=ic

I wondered why the Salvation Army Citadel looked different compared to current pictures (especially the slightly altered facade).

Lurgan Mail - Saturday 25 November 1939:

Salvation Army Citadel
PORTADOWN STONE-LAYING
The stone-laying ceremony of the new Citadel in Edward Street, Portadown, for the local Salvation Army Corps took place on Saturday,
...
The new hall, to cost £3,460, will replace an old building destroyed by fire in June, 1938. Already £3,080 has been received towards the outlay. The Corps has been established in Portadown since January 18, 1881, almost 59 years.

According to the account of the fire in the Lurgan Mail - Saturday 4 June 1938, it was feared that both the Town Hall and the Young Men's Institute were in great danger, but the Fire Brigade succeed in containing the outbreak. Mr George M'Geown, Town Clerk, rushed to the Town Hall and removed all important documents just in case.

The original citadel was a single-storey wooden structure, with four brick walls, capable of holding 600 people.

All the instruments of the Salvation Army band, bar one, were saved, but an organ, two flags, all songster and band music, as well as hymn books, were destroyed.

"The police, under District-Inspector Kenny and Head-Constable Gosnell rendered valuable assistance in controlling the vast crowds."

Still standing: Streetview from the far side of the building.

17:00. That's unusually late for Mr French / Lawrence.

Still standing Streetview

Streetview at 06:45 - maps.app.goo.gl/Put37ik4NsTSjfAt7

Mr French / Lawrence took a couple of nearby photos, I think a few years previously, slightly to the left, including the horse-trough and fountain(?) -
catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000336802
catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000336803
See - maps.app.goo.gl/Ec5MkGmgCBRdpDuLA

Ed - Niall McAuley Snap-ish!

beachcomber australia Clock face replaced at some stage.

National Library of Ireland on The Commons Yes, the old face had that quirky "IIII" for "IV". Thanks megazoom again.