The Old Town Hall in Eganville

In 1907, Eganville built a new town hall that quickly became a source of pride for the community. Editor Smallfield of The Renfrew Mercury was especially impressed when he came to see it firsthand, praising its “suitable accommodation for the Fire Department, its Council Chamber, Clerk’s office, caretaker’s rooms and lock-up cells.” What struck him most, however, was the auditorium: “both the stage accommodation and the seating capacity will be such as to secure that entertainments of all kinds may be properly presented and enjoyed in comfort.”

In the years before movies and television, this auditorium played a central role in village life. Concerts and entertainments, especially those held at Christmas and on St. Patrick’s Day, were community highlights. The hall also saved residents the arduous trip to Ottawa, which many had made previously in search of cultural events.

Built at a cost of $14,000, the hall was considered remarkably affordable. As Smallfield noted, “When we remember that the building has hot water heating, electric lighting and is to be fairly well seated, we can only wonder that it should have cost so little.” The building measured 100 by 45 feet, with a 65-foot hose tower. The auditorium seated 600 on the main floor and another 120 in the gallery. Its stage was 22 feet deep with a 25-foot curtain.

The town hall quickly became the setting for important public events. In February 1912, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Canada’s Prime Minister from 1896 to 1911, visited Eganville to support Liberal candidate George P. Graham in the South Renfrew election. Beyond politics, the hall also housed the police station and, over the decades, became the backdrop for countless weddings, dances and community celebrations.