The LSPU Hall is a large wooden structure in

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North Ame ...

. Located on 3 Victoria Street, it is currently the home of the Resource Centre for the Arts (RCA). The name comes from a previous owner, the Longshoremen's Protective Union (not to be confused with the

Fisherman's Protective Union The Fishermen's Protective Union (sometimes called the Fisherman's Protective Union, the FPU, The Union or the Union Party) was a workers' organisation and political party in the Dominion of Newfoundland. The development of the FPU mirrored tha ...

). The Hall is a registered heritage building. In its mission statement the Resource Centre for the Arts states that it "aims to provide accessible, supportive and well-resourced programs and venues, with a primary focus on the creation, development, and advancement of the performing arts in Newfoundland and Labrador". Many prominent artists from Newfoundland and Labrador have performed at the Hall, including Mary Walsh, Andy Jones,

Rick Mercer Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer (born October 17, 1969) is a Canadian comedian, television personality, Political satire, political satirist, and author. He is best known for his work on the CBC Television comedy shows ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' ...

, Bob Joy,

Jillian Keiley Jillian Keiley is a Canadian theater director. Early life and education Keiley was born in 1970 and raised in Goulds, a community just south of St. John's, in Newfoundland, Canada. She attended St. Kevin's High School and York University, com ...

Allan Hawco Allan Hawco is a Canadian writer, actor, and producer from Bell Island, Newfoundland. He is best known for his roles in the series ''Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan'', ''Republic of Doyle'', and '' The Book of Negroes'', and the television limited series ...

and Danielle Irvine.

History

The LSPU Hall is on the site of "the first

Congregationalist Church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...

in Newfoundland" that was built in 1789. After that was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1817, a meeting hall was built on the site, which was purchased by the

Sons of Temperance The Sons of Temperance was and is a brotherhood of men who promoted the temperance movement and Benefit society, mutual support. The organization was started in New York City in 1842. In the 1840s, it spread quickly across the United States and ...

in 1853. This meeting hall was destroyed by the

Great Fire of 1892 The Great Fire of 8 July 1892 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is remembered as the worst disaster ever to befall that city. Previous "Great Fires" had occurred in St. John's, during 1819 and 1846. Timeline At approximately 4:45 in th ...

and rebuilt. The Longshoremen’s Protective Union purchased the building from the Sons of Temperance in 1912, to be used as their union hall. There was another fire in 1922, when the building was extensively damaged. Subsequently "the building was used for both union meetings and local activities including speeches and bingo". The Resource Foundation for the Arts was founded by The Mummers Troupe who helped purchase, renovate and develop the LSPU Hall as a downtown St. John's performance centre. The RFA started leasing the building in 1975 and bought in 1976, The Mummers Troupe was founded in the autumn of 1972 by Chris Brookes and Lynn Lunde, and is best known for their performances of the "Traditional Newfoundland Christmas Mummers Play" every December from 1972 to 1982. The Hall is now "one of the most important centres for the arts in Newfoundland and Labrador". The LSPU Hall is a registered heritage building "because of its historical and architectural values". This followed renovations done to "enhancing its heritage features" in 1984. There were further major renovations in 2008. While the interior of the building "has been extensively changed over the years", the exterior is "virtually unchanged since 1922". There are also remains of the original stone foundation walls from the Congregational Church built in 1789. Its plain architectural style is typical of early twentieth century Newfoundland meeting halls.Canada's Historic Places.

References

External links

Resource Centre for the Arts

Canada's Historic Places
{{coord, 47.56613, -52.706491, type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts centres in Canada