He pārongo atu anōRailway Hall

This photograph shows the Railway Hall on Church Street West. This building was constructed in 1880 as the first Masonic Lodge Temple for the United Manawatu Lodge at a cost of £365. It originally stood in Main Street West, near George Street and was removed to its Church Street site in 1892, when the Railway Department purchased the site for the expansion of the railway yards in Main Street. The building served as a Social Hall for railway employees until about 1970, when its dilapidated condition led to its closure. It was the last of the railway buildings in the central city to be demolished, its demolition taking place during July and August, 1972. Note the glimpse of the railway goods shed on the left.