Description of Historic Place

The Rydal Bank Community Hall is located on the north side of Hoath Street off Highway 638 in the Village of Rydal Bank, which is 10 km north of Bruce Mines, Ontario. The Rydal Bank Community Hall is owned by the Township of Plummer Additional, 38 Railroad Crescent, RR2, Bruce Mines, Ontario P0R 1C0.

Rydal Bank Community Hall is recognized for its heritage value by Township of Plummer Additional By-law 2006-51.

Heritage Value

Located 10 kms north of Bruce Mines, the Village of Rydal Bank was founded in the 1870s, soon after the establishment of the first copper mines in Canada. Rydal Bank was a thriving village and as it grew its citizens recognised the need for a place to hold their community meetings and public events.

Constructed around 1896 as the Loyal Orange Lodge Rossmore No. 356 Hall, it was made available to all for social gatherings and became the preferred site for school concerts including the annual school Christmas concert, a version of which is still presented annually by The Rydal Bank Historical Society. A sampling of events held at the hall include a shooting match on Christmas day in 1903, a grand ball and a box social in 1908, a wedding in 1910 and a meeting to establish a patriotic society in 1915.

By 1959, membership in the Orange Lodge had declined to such a point that the Toronto Lodge saw little merit in keeping the organization and the hall operating and ordered the building be burned. Community protest was vociferous and it banded to preserve the Hall. This potential event sparked the movement to preserve Rydal Bank's heritage.

In 1972, the Hall was sold to the Township of Plummer Additional following the closing of the Orange Lodge. Today, it is one of two public buildings remaining from Rydal Bank's heyday and as such, is a rare example of the type of structure built for community use. It is highly valued for its association with the cultural heritage of Rydal Bank. The Hall continues to serve the area as a community centre and is the official home of The Rydal Bank Historical Society. It houses a wide collection of artifacts donated to the Society and hosts the Society's diverse heritage events. The building is preserved and maintained by The Rydal Bank Historical Society.

The Hall is also significant for its architecture, being the only structure of its kind in the Township and surrounding area. Its steeply pitched roof adds height to the one-storey front gabled building, constructed of clapboard with cedar shingles across the gable ends, and features 2 over 2 windows that are distinctive of the style used by local builder, Walter Robinson. The windows are a full five feet in height and have full length double shutters on the interior. The interior has an ornate pressed tin ceiling, an elaborately framed stage, bead board wood paneling and a geometrically patterned hardwood floor.

Sources: Township of Plummer Additional By-law 2006-51 and Township of Plummer Additional Municipal Heritage Sites Register.

Character-Defining Elements

Key character defining elements that embody the heritage value of the Rydal Bank Community Hall include its:
- prominent location on a main village street
- continual use for community purposes
- vernacular design with clapboard cladding and steeply pitched roof
- front gable end
- ornate pressed tin ceiling in the main hall
- elaborately framed stage and beaded board panelling
- 2 over 2 windows with wood mouldings, 5 feet in height and full length double interior shutters
- window lintels contain 3 flowing ridges, distinctive of Walter Robinson's design
- geometrically patterned hardwood floor