Too late - DEMOLITION WEDNESDAY 27 NOVEMBER
This piece of our history and has been left to fall into disrepair by private owner, the local community and the council have tried for many years to save this building but the owner has always had the intention of "DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT".
The St Andrews Sunday School Hall was built FOR the New Lynn community BY the community.
Sunday schools were an important part of early colonial New Zealand, this hall as built to school the poor New Lynn children many of Scottish descent.
The hall hosted Sunday school classes and many community activities. Reverend Ranking opened up the hall for everyone during the depression. He also started the St Andrews Society to bring the Scottish community together. The Friday night dances are well remembered by many.
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Read the Conservation and Restoration Plan by Burgess and Treep Heritage Architects.
Reverend Rankin and the Hall
Built almost single-handedly by "The Bricklaying Parson", the St Andrews Sunday School Hall on Margan Avenue is one of the finest examples of a public building constructed of bricks from the local brickworks.
Reverand Rankin began work on the hall in November 1928. He said "We are not rich out this way and if I don't build the place myself I don't see how we are going to get it".
He laid most of the bricks himself and there were 90,000 to 200,000 bricks used in the construction of the Hall.
The Bricklaying Parson
Built for the community
The bricks were donated by the Gardner and Parker Brickworks, and the land was donated by the neighbouring Brick and Tile Company.
Fletcher Construction donated the joinery and 20 bricklayers and labourers for a day, after Reverend Rankin challenged bricklayers to join him for a day.
The hall was designed by renowned architect H Clinton Savage and is an excellent example of his work.
Take a look inside...
The St Andrews Sunday School Hall is stunning inside, not a sound from the outside world through the triple bricked walls.
Lost in time!
