Building on Vernon Street... What was it?

[AFM]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone happened to know what the building was that was situated where the entrance to Chapelwell Street Car Park is now, from Vernon Street (the entrance across the road from the railway station carpark) - see attached photo. In all the historical maps I've looked at it is marked as 'institute' and seems to be there until the 1970s or later.

Just not sure what the building actually was/was used for and would be grateful if anyone who did know could help.

Thanks!

[sweet caroline]

Is that where the Co-op grocers sat in the 60/70

SC

[Hughie]

I'm thinking that the building indicated was further along from Green Street (towards Ardrossan) The Co-op was on the corner of Green Street according to my recollections.

[down south]

The building you've highlighted, AFM, was originally the Good Templars' Hall. It was actually next door to the Co-op Grocery.

They were a kind of 19th century friendly society, a bit on the lines of the Freemasons but based around the temperance movement, which believe it or not was very popular in Saltcoats back then ( did I hear someone say changed days ? ) : there's more about them here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Templars

PS Most local towns had a Good Templars society branch in the old days; Ardrossan had its own Templars hall, and I see in this week's Herald Files the doings of a Kilbirnie branch are getting a mention.

Not sure if it went on being used by them up till the end of its days or was occupied by some other kind of church or mission society ? but anyway it fell out of use and was demolished at the start of the 1970s, handily clearing the way for the eventual car park entrance. The pillar beside the entrance is the last remnant of the building, as we once discussed here; that's where I learned what it had been, because when I was young I had no idea. But sadly I don't know of any better photo that gives us a proper view of the Hall as it used to be.

Susan

[AFM]

Brilliant info - very helpful! Thanks very much. I'm guessing it was demolished to make way for that car park then. So before the car park was built, do you know if there was any access into the bit of land where the car park is now? (where the soft play and TV shop etc. is) Or was it just gardens or something?

[rab]

hi guys
is that not where the Bethany hall was in vernon st.
rab

[wellparkno9]

Between this building and the co-op grocery dept,there was access to the land between the coop and the bank in Dockhead St.There was a wall dividing the two.In the coop section there were out buildings and storeage huts.On the bank side there were glasshouses and apple trees.On top of the wall there was glass cemented in to it..I can mind a crowd of us were going for apples and one of the girls got cut very bad.I thought I was smart when I put my Jacket over the top of the glass,I had to hide that jacket from my mother for ages.

[down south]

Thanks for providing the more up- to-date name for the hall, Rab; I didn't imagine the Templars had still been around as late as our day. I see this post suggests it was used by the YMCA at one time:

http://www.threetowners.net/forum/viewt ... 703#p46703

Susan

[Max]

Here is a cropped shot from a 1948 aerial photo showing the Templar's Hall.

[meekan]

I think it is the site of the brethern hall. it was demolished to make access to the car park behind Bank of Scotland