Newcastle Municipality demolishes 134-year-old Masonic Lodge
The site will now be repurposed and used as parking for the church.
After 134 years, the old Masonic Lodge building has been demolished, allegedly motivated by public safety concerns.
Newcastle Municipality announced yesterday afternoon (October 8) that the historic building in Harding Street had been completely demolished.
According to the municipality, the demolition followed the granting of permission by the KwaZulu-Natal Amafa & Research Institute to the property owner, after the required processes had been followed.
The municipality further stated that the building, which was constructed in 1892, had deteriorated significantly over the years.
“It had been extensively vandalised, was at some point burnt, and had become illegally occupied. The state of the building posed a serious safety and security risk,” said the municipality.
Businesses raise safety concerns
The municipality noted that businesses operating in Newcastle’s central business district (CBD) had, over a long period, raised concerns and lodged complaints about the building.
These concerns centred on the structure allegedly no longer being safe for business operations or members of the public.
“The demolition of this structure will bring much-needed relief to businesses in the central town, and the site will now be repurposed and utilised as parking for the church, which will not only improve safety and cleanliness in the precinct, but also ease parking pressure in the CBD,” the municipality said.
The municipality concluded by reaffirming its commitment to working with property owners, heritage authorities and the business sector to keep the town safe, clean and conducive to economic growth, while respecting all relevant heritage legislation.
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