Watercolour of the Freemasons' Tavern by John Nixon circa 1800
The Freemasons' Tavern was established in 1775 at 61–65 Great Queen Street in the West EndofLondon. It served as a meeting place for a variety of notable organisations from the 18th century until it was demolished in 1909 to make way for the Connaught Rooms.
History
[edit]Meeting in the Hall of the Freemason's Tavern, London with sign language for deaf and mute people, published in the Illustrated London News, 23 January 1875
The hall was not only used for Masonic purposes, but also became an important venue in London for a variety of meetings and concerts.[1] Organisations using the hall included:
In 1909 the Grand Lodge demolished most of the Freemasons' Tavern and replaced it over succeeding decades with a new building designed by H. V. Ashley and Winton Newman, who also designed the adjoining Freemasons' Hall. The new building, costing £30,000, was named the Connaught Rooms after the Lodge's Grand Master, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn.[4]
After a further renovation by Friendly Hotels (later the Real Hotel Company) in the 1980s it reopened as the New Connaught Rooms, a hotel and conference centre. The art deco Grand Hall can seat 800 conference delegates.[6] When the Real Hotel Company collapsed in 2009,[7]Principal Hayley Group bought the venue,[6] renamed it the Grand Connaught Rooms,[6][8] and in 2016 placed it in its De Vere brand.[9] In 2010 it became Grade II* listed.[5]
^ abc"Freemasons' Hall, London: A History". History of Freemasonry. Library and Museum Charitable Trust of the United Grand Lodge of England. Archived from the original on 19 July 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
^Edwards, Peter (25 June 2009). "Principal Hayley aims to check in with deals for more quality hotels". The Yorkshire Post. Leeds. They will spend a further £7m on refurbishing the New Connaught, which will be renamed The Grand Connaught Rooms, as they seek to attract more high-end customers to stay overnight at both properties and use their conference facilities.
