The sandstone hall on the corner of Church Street and Church Lane was originally the hall of the first Friendly Society to operate in Ryde.
Oddfellow's Lodge Uniting Friends Number 48 started in1864 and this hall was opened in late 1869. It was built on a separate lot adjacent to the church land and was later acquired by the Methodist Church (now the Uniting Church) in 1917 for kindergarten classes and meetings.
A public meeting in this hall led to the incorporation of Ryde on 12 November 1870. Nominations for the first council were called in February 1871 and among those elected were James Devlin of Willandra, Charles Blaxland of Cleves, and Edward Terry of Eastwood House.
Terry became Ryde's first mayor. The tramway to West Ryde ran along Church Street between 1914 and 1949. One side of the street retains sandstone kerb and guttering that is more than 100 years old.
