In 1980, its well-preserved interior was used as a meeting hall set for a documentary on Alberta women's rights activist Emily Murphy. That's just one of the fascinating tales from the century-long life of the Orange Hall.

This wood frame home to the Loyal Orange Lodge No. 1654 was erected in 1903 on land purchased for $150 by members of the Loyal Orange Order, Chapter 1164. The members themselves did the construction work to save money - which was in notoriously short supply.

Good workmanship and good fortune along the way have combined to preserve the hall at 10335 84th Avenue, which still boasts its original hardwood flooring, wainscotting and stage with podium and carved wooden arch.

With its simple white clapboard looks, the Orange Hall is the sort of building that many might not view as historic. But it endures as a rare example of a style of architecture seldom found in today's urban centres.

A report from the Edmonton Planning Department calls the building "representative of simple mission style architecture" and notes that it lacks the ornate embellishments of a later era. But that's not to say that this little building is without its charms and artistic flourish.

In the upstairs hall, the arch over the stage is adorned with ornate carvings in the woodwork. Wood panelling, with reaches half way up the walls, adds a homey touch. The Queen's photograph overlooks the hall over the lodge's unfurled banner, while historic photos and charters decorate the walls. The piano is reported to be the original.

The hall's white clapboard siding was originally painted a dark colour and the closed in porch is a later addition as was a basement, which now houses a kitchen and storage facilities. But otherwise the hall is essentially unchanged.

While construction was carried out in 1903, the history of the building actually begins eight years earlier, with the formation of the Loyal Orange Lodge No. 1654. From 1895 until the construction of Orange Hall in 1903, meetings were held in members' homes.

H.W. Nash, a Strathcona grain buyer and prominent local businessman, played host to the first sessions at his home. Originally a partisan group supporting the cause of Protestantism in England, the Loyal Orange Order today operates primarily as a benevolent association, raising funds for various children's charities.

Some of Strathcona's leading citizens were among the fraternity's founding membership. According to the lodge's incorporation charter, dated 1895 and mounted on the wall left of the stage podium, Rev. Robert A. Munroe was the first Grand Master. R.W. Pettipiece, the editor of the South Edmonton News was the first Recording Secretary and Robert McKernan, who built the Dominion Hotel in 1903, organized several Orangemen's parades and was subsequently Grand Master of the lodge. McKernan's son John was to build the Princess Theatre in 1914/15.

The first Orangeman's parade in Strathcona was held on the "Glorious 12th of July" 1895, in honour of William of Orange, a Protestant who became King of England in place of James II, a Catholic. Some 60 Orangemen strutted down Whyte Avenue to the accompaniment of fifes and drums.

By 1904 the group's membership had grown considerably, and an impressive 2,500 Orangemen from all over Alberta participated in that year's procession. With that kind of popularity, it's no wonder the Orange Hall became a Strathcona social centre.

In recent years the hall has done duty as the South Side Folk Club and venue for the Fringe Festival and private events. Time has marched on and other buildings went up around it - the Strathcona Library to the west (in 1913) and the Edmonton Transit bus barns to the east in the 1950s. As it nears its 100th birthday, the Orange Hall sits sandwiched between them, a bookmark in time.

Recognizing its significance to the city's built heritage, the Orange Hall is one of fewer than 120 structures on the "A" list of the Register of Historic Resources in Edmonton. Any plan to dramatically change or demolish the structure must first be brought to a vote of Edmonton City Council.

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