IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Edward Street, CRAIGAVON, BT62 3NE

In 1881 The Portadown Corps commenced it's ministry to the people of the town. The local Salvation Army Hall located in Edward Street Portadown although burned down the foundation stones for the current hall were laid in November 1939 and it was rebuilt on the same site. The new halls opened on 4th May 1940.

This is run by the Elim Pentecostal Church in Clonavon Avenue, around the corner from here. The building used to be St. Patrick's church hall belonging to the Roman Catholic Church of St. Patrick's in William Street nearby.

This is part of the new hall which was built on the site of the old Thomas Street Primary School, situated on the corner of Portmore Street and Edward Street. This was the main entrance to the school and the original railings have been preserved.

This two story building of 1904 was designed and built by locals, using money provided by the Scottish-American millionaire Andrew Carnegie who financed free library/reading rooms all over the British Isles.

Portadown Town Hall, built in 1890, was once the seat of local government until the building of the Craigavon Civic Centre. It is still used for performances and exhibitions-and since 1923, for the annual Festival of Music and Drama.

This must be the last of the factory chimneys left in Portadown. The factory, originally "Dyers and Finishers", later became the Ulster Laces. It was situated in Thomas Street. The houses, which were on the main street, with the factory behind, have been demolished. This is what is happening everywhere now. The houses were great 3 storey residential buildings which could have been modernised and kept a sense of community in Thomas Street. See Image

The Northern Ireland Fire Authority was formed in 1950 from an amalgamation of The Northern fire authority with its headquarters in Ballymena, the Western fire authority with its headquarters in Londonderry and the Southern fire authority with its headquarters in Portadown. These authorities had been formed in 1947 after the N.F.S. (N.I) had been stood down. Fire Force Commander of the newly formed Northern Ireland Fire Authority was George Murphy who was, until 1950, the Fire Services Inspector for the Ministry of Home Affairs. When George Murphy retired in 1972, the Authority appointed George Morrison as Fire Force Commander. He held this office until the Northern Ireland Fire Authority amalgamated with the Belfast Fire Brigade in 1973. The newly formed brigade, now entitled, "Fire Authority for Northern Ireland" appointed George Morrison as The Chief Fire Officer. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Board (FRSB) replaced the FIRE Authority for Northern Ireland (FANI) on 1st July 2006. The Board is responsible for Fire and Rescue Services in Northern Ireland. Its statutory duties are the promotion of fire safety, fire fighting, rescuing people trapped in road traffic accidents, protecting and rescuing people from other hazards, acting as the enforcement authority for new safety requirements and emergency planning

This hall adjoined the church and also Thomas Primary School. Later the school was no longer needed and new spacious halls were built, using some of these former buildings.

Wall and corner protector, made by the Union Foundry, Belfast http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=26279270 , at the Thomas Street end of Portmore Street.