HO201 - Lee house and Gossip Tree (red box), 1533 Eltham Yarra Glen Road CHRISTMAS HILLS
1533 Eltham Yarra Glen Road CHRISTMAS HILLS, NILLUMBIK SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
HERITAGE VALUE 2005: Local
SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT
What is significant?
Fabric & trees associated with:
- the Victorian & Edwardian-eras
- Annie Lee/Powderly, Charles Young tenure
How is it significant?
Lee house and Gossip Tree (red box) are locally significant historically and socially:
Why is it significant?
Lee house and Gossip Tree (red box) are significant:
- for the relative age of the house and associated distinctive detailing (Criterion 82)
- for the associations of the house complex with the local pioneering Young family and, later the Jorgensen family as part of a local meeting place (Criterion A4, G1)
- for the value given to house and tree by the local community, the tree being known by local historians as a meeting place and coach stop over an extended period (Criterion G1).
- part of a locally significant building group, including the former post office, mechanics institute and war memorial, each having had a major role in the local community (Criterion A4, G1).
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HO201 - Lee house and Gossip Tree (red box), 1533 Eltham Yarra Glen Road CHRISTMAS HILLS - Physical Description 1
DESCRIPTION
The house consists of two main wings. The older wing is a low verandahed and gabled two-room section on the east end of the road facade, with a ridge line parallel to the road, and the younger, a gabled one-room wing on the west end, with a gable end facing the road complete with carved finial. Both have walls clad with square edge weatherboard (some replaced recently on the west wing) and roofs with corrugated iron. The timber verandah posts on the east wing are stop-chamfered, the valance in a scalloped profile (used generally on the building for barges to old and new wings), and the gutter a half-round section: all typical of early construction. The older east wing has an attached brick chimney on the eastend and both wings have double-hung six-pane sash windows. A Victorian-era half-glazed door is used at the front and on one of the side entry points.
Inside the older section has sheet wall cladding where there may have been papered hessian or similar. The west wing has a chamfered profile ceiling with red pine T&G bead edge lining, as have the walls.
What was once a gabled weatherboard clad detached kitchen, with attached brick chimney, has been joined to the house by the construction of a skillion roof, Tudoresque style section of two rooms. The cladding and detailing generally match the earlier building, with double-hung sash windows two trellised porches, moulded architraves, use of an Edwardian-era door (east side) and a matching broad attached brick chimney (added?). This fire place is fitted with a cast-iron one fire stove internally. . A large cemented dome-top underground tank is located to the north-west of the house. At the east side of the block is a recent adobe building ..
HO201 - Lee house and Gossip Tree (red box), 1533 Eltham Yarra Glen Road CHRISTMAS HILLS - Physical Description 2
Red box
A large red box (E. polyanthemos' ssp 'vestita') stands in the road reserve, measuring about 25m high and 3m diameter at 1.5m above ground. It is reputedly an early meeting place in Christmas Hills as the coach stopping place and sited opposite the post office, as the only major shade tree.
HO201 - Lee house and Gossip Tree (red box), 1533 Eltham Yarra Glen Road CHRISTMAS HILLS - Integrity
Integrity
The house underwent rear extensions and some change in detail under the Montsalvat Trust ownership, blurring the period expression of the house by use of matching or period elements externally. Windows have been added to the east wing, east end. A skillion roof wing has been added to the west end of the west wing although the weatherboards are continuous across both sections on the north face; Victorian-era doors are used externally on this room.
HO201 - Lee house and Gossip Tree (red box), 1533 Eltham Yarra Glen Road CHRISTMAS HILLS - Physical Description 3
Tree
The tree is in the road reserve. It has recently dropped some limbs but appears in fair health. There is a small section of Lyctid borer on a scar caused by a recent car accident: this is unlikely to harm-the tree but some form of barrier (boulders?) located at the drip line may deter similar accidents.
Heritage Study and Grading
Nillumbik - C13 Heritage Stage 2 Final Report Revised Citation
Author: Graeme Butler and Assoc.
Year: 2001
Grading:
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