Terrace
14 Spencer Street and 16 Spencer Street ESSENDON, MOONEE VALLEY CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is Significant?
14-16 Spencer Street, Essendon, a pair of late Victorian Italianate terrace houses built c1891-92 is significant.
Significant fabric includes the:
original built form, roof forms (No 14 only) and original chimneys;
the two-storey hayloft and stable outbuildings with remnant early hook pully mechanism (No 16)
rendered masonry walls to the principal elevation, face brickwork to side elevations and original pattern of fenestration;
Italianate parapets, two-storey verandahs set between party walls; basalt sills and thresholds; and
blind round-arched windows, original window and door joinery.
The third-storey extension and garage (No 16) and the skillion rear extension (14) are not significant.
How is it significant?
14-16 Spencer Street, Essendon, is of local historical and architectural (representative) significanceto the City of Moonee Valley.
Why is it significant?
14-16 Spencer Street, Essendon, developed on the Lincolnshire Park Estate, is historically significant for its long association with the Tate family, who were early settlers in the Holden/Diggers Rest area. The Tates of Pleasant Vale established what is now known as 'Tate's Ford', a stone road leading through Jacksons Creek which allowed locals to access the Holden Common, Mt Alexander Road (Calder Highway) and the railway station. 14-16 Spencer Street; developed by Paul Tate c1891-92 continued to be owned by members of the same family until the death of James Tate in 1939. 14-16 Spencer Street is also historically significant for its association with Christ Church Essendon, serving as a clergy house from 1893-1912 with residents being Rev John Good who resided there from 1893-1903 and Rev M.M. Whitton from 1903-12. (Criterion A)
14 and 16 Spencer Street, Essendon, is significant as an example of a Victorian terrace in the Italianate style. It is distinguished from other terraces as it features a single- and double-fronted house. Terraces in the City of Moonee Valley are far less common than detached houses, and two-storey examples are relatively uncommon and is distinguished by its unusual form of two different sized houses.
Overall, the terrace houses at 14-16 Spencer Street, Essendon, demonstrate key characteristics associated with the Italianate style, including the uniform arrangement of the principal facades, two storey verandahs with cast iron friezes, ornate parapets and party walls, cement rendered chimneys and walls, use of plain face brickwork to side elevations and an original fenestration pattern. 14-16 Spencer Street are of relatively high integrity apart from an additional partially visible storey added to No 16. Other changes are minor and are not considered to compromise the significance of the place as a whole. Significance is enhanced by the remaining outbuilding, formerly used as a stable and hay loft and located behind No 16. (Criterion D)
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Terrace - Physical Description 1
14 and 16 Spencer Street, Essendon, form a pair of two-storey Victorian terrace houses constructed in 1891-92. Positioned on the north-east side of Spencer Street, the houses are located between Lincoln Road and Collins Street. The land falls moderately west to east and provides views towards the city from the first-floor verandahs. Constructed in brick with a smooth render finish, the dominant mass of their masonry form is broken up using Italianate elements and the overlaying of intricately detailed cast iron components. Rising above a simply moulded cornice line with dentil course, a parapet of three repeating curved segmental pediments, separated by urns, utilise Classical motifs. Viewed from a distance this gives the building the illusion of being three distinct terraces. The south-west elevation, facing the street, is dominated by a two-storey verandah set between party walls giving a filigree effect. Unusually the pair of houses is configured as a single-fronted terrace at number 14 and a double-fronted terrace at number 16. Double-height party walls demarcate the ends of the terrace and the separation between the two residences. Decorative console brackets with vermiculated panels above divide the verticality of the party walls. Number 16 has a symmetrical facade with a centrally placed entrance door. Supported by two simple square-cut timber posts, the verandah is accessed by three steps, two of which are dressed basalt. The verandah floor is poured concrete at ground level and timber at first-floor level above. At the ground level an ornate cast iron frieze with corner brackets sits under the transverse beam that supports the verandah above. At the first-floor level a decorative iron balcony is capped with a timber rail. A cast iron frieze with corner brackets runs under the fascia board and is more diminutive in scale to that at the lower level. The verandah roof is a simple corrugated iron skillion. At ground level, under the verandah, a deeply moulded four-panel front door sits within an elaborate door case of sidelights and an over-light. The threshold is of dressed basalt. Either side of the entrance door are timber-framed, double-hung tripartite windows consisting of two narrow sidelights with a large central pane. Sills are of dressed basalt. Blind round-arch windows are recessed into the party walls at each end. At first floor level, a centrally placed single door with over-light, sits between two timber-framed double-hung windows with dressed basalt sills. Blind round-arch windows echo those below. Number 14 is asymmetrical in form with an entrance door at its western end. Accessed by three dressed basalt steps the verandah is supported by fluted iron posts with Corinthian capitals. The verandah floor, at ground level, is set with contemporary tessellated tiles within a dressed basalt edge. At ground level an ornate cast iron frieze and corner brackets sit under a stop-chamfered transverse beam. At the first-floor level a decorative cast iron balcony is capped with a timber rail. A cast iron frieze with corner brackets sits under the stop-chamfered fascia board and matches the frieze below. The verandah roof is a simple corrugated iron skillion. As the verandah posts and iron frieze of the terraces do not match it would seem probable that one or both have been replaced. At ground level, under the verandah of number 14, a deeply moulded four-panel entrance door sits within an elaborate door case of sidelights and over-light of etched glass. Adjacent to the door a timber-framed, double-hung tripartite window with a dressed basalt sill matches those found at number 16. At first-floor level a single door with over-light provides access to the verandah at its western end. Adjacent to the door is a single timber-framed double-hung window. Blind round-arch windows are set into the party walls at each level repeating the detailing found at number 16. The north-east and north-west side elevations are finished in face brickwork and are unadorned. Four unpainted smooth rendered Italianate chimneys, with heavily moulded cornices, are extant. Number 16 has been extensively renovated and extended. The entire roof of the house has been removed and a third level constructed. Recessed behind the parapet an upper deck has been created presumably to take advantage of the elevated position and views. A double-storey red brick outbuilding abutting the rear pitched basalt lane appears original and is fitted with the remnants of a hoist mechanism to provide access to an elevated opening. A concrete drive runs down the western boundary accessing a single garage that is a recent addition. Number 14 retains its original hipped roof. Originally tiled in slate, the roof is now clad in corrugated iron sheeting. The original rear two-storied wall of the house is retained with two offset timber-framed double-hung windows with dressed basalt sills. A small skillion-roofed extension has been added at the ground level. Both terraces sit behind iron palisade fences. The palisades of number 16 are set into dressed basalt whilst the fence base of number 14 has been rendered. The iron palisades return along the drive at the western end and meet the party wall of number 16. A curved masonry wall separates the front gardens of the houses. Simple gardens with brick paving and raised garden beds sit between the front fence and the elevated verandahs. 14-16 Spencer Street, Essendon is of relatively high integrity with few changes visible to original or early elements of the place. The building retains its original building form, roof forms (no 14 only), rendered masonry walls to the principal elevation, face brickwork to side elevations and original fenestration. The integrity of the building is enhanced by the relatively high level of intactness of these main elements, which includes Italianate parapet, two-storey verandahs set between party walls, basalt sills and thresholds, blind round-arch windows, original hip roof (No 14) and four Italianate chimneys. The integrity of the building (No 16) is diminished by an extensive third storey addition that is visible from the street resulting in the loss of the original roof fabric. It is slightly diminished by the addition of a garage attached to its north-west elevation. The integrity of the place as a whole is greatly enhanced by the two-storey brick out-building located on the rear basalt lane behind No 16, which includes the remnants of an early pully mechanism with hook.
Heritage Study and Grading
Moonee Valley - Moonee Valley 2017 Heritage Study
Author: Context
Year: 2019
Grading:
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CANARY ISLAND DATE PALM AVENUE (PHOENIX CANARIENSIS)Victorian Heritage Register H1200
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FORMER ESSENDON HIGH SCHOOLVictorian Heritage Register H1294
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HOUSE (BRAESIDE)Moonee Valley City
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"1890"Yarra City
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"AMF Officers" ShedMoorabool Shire
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"AQUA PROFONDA" SIGN, FITZROY POOLVictorian Heritage Register H1687
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"1890"Yarra City
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'BRAESIDE'Boroondara City
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'ELAINE'Boroondara City
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