Ingham Street, Freemasons Hall

The Hall cost £2,247.00. The Foundation Stone was laid on 9th June 1884. The brethren, in full Masonic Regalia and headed by the band of the Third Durham Artillery Volunteers, marched in procession to the site of the new Hall. The Foundation Stone was laid by the Mayor of South Shields, W. Bro. T.G. Mabane. After the ceremony a banquet was held in the Golden Lion Hotel, was attended by 130 Brethren. The Hall was opened on 9th February 1885, the Regular Meeting of St. Hilda Lodge. The St. Hilda and Hadrian Lodges remain there to this day. In 1925 the hall was extended and improved. The Lodge Room was enlarged, the Banqueting Hall extended to accommodate 170 diners and new Club Rooms, Kitchen, Servery added. The Craft continued to flourish in the town and on 17th December 1891 a new Lodge, Hedworth No. 2418 was consecrated at Ingham Street where it continued to meet until 1925 when it moved to its own newly built Hall in Dean Road.
The Lord Barnard Lodge No. 2935 was consecrated on 16th October 1902 and The John Readhead Lodge No. 3217 was consecrated on 1st June 1907. The Lord Barnard Lodge remained at Ingham Street until 1904 when it moved to its own premises at Whitehead Street, Tyne Dock. The John Readhead Lodge moved to Whitehead Street immediately after the Consecration. The last Lodge to be consecrated at Ingham Street was the Caer Urfa Lodge No. 4345 on 23rd November 1921 and is still based there. Wrekendike Lodge No. 6401 met at Ingham Street from March 1947 to May 1990 after which it transferred to the Hedworth Hall. The closure of the Hedworth Hall in 2007 saw the transfer of all the Masonic organisations residing there to the Ingham Street Hall.