Plow Street Precinct
1-31 and 2-30 PLOW STREET, THORNBURY, DAREBIN CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
The Plow Street precinct comprises all the houses on both sides of Plow Street in Thornbury. It was originally developed in two key phases during the late ninteenth and early twentieth centuries and the extent to which these two periods are clearly evident in the built fabric is an important characteristic. The following elements contribute to the significance of the precinct:
- The four villas of an unusual design at Nos. 1, 9, 17 & 25.
- The detached Victorian double-fronted houses at 13, 21 & 29 and the weatherboard cottage at No.4
- The single and double fronted Edwardian houses at 2, 7, 10, 12, 15, 18, 19, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28-30 & 31.
Non-original alterations and additions to the contributory houses and the houses at 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 14, 16, 20 & 22 are not significant.
How is it significant?
The Plow Street Precinct in Thornbury is of local historic and architectural significance to Darebin City.
Why is it significant?
Historically, the Plow Street Precinct is significant as a representative example of a residential development that provides tangible evidence of two early phases of suburban development in Thornbury during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It demonstrates the relatively greater level of initial development in the nineteenth century and quicker rate of recovery in the twentieth enjoyed by subdivisions in proximity to public transport in Thornbury compared to those that were more remote(AHC criteria A.4, D.2).
The villas at 1, 9, 17, 21, 25 & 29 Plow Street are architecturally significant as finely detailed houses with unusual design features not found elsewhere in Darebin. (AHC criteria D.2, F.1).
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Plow Street Precinct - Physical Description 1
The Plow Street precinct in Thornbury is a residential area comprising housing from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Of particular interest are four nineteenth villas of an unusual design at Nos. 1, 9, 17 & 25, which have steep pitched gable roofs. One gable faces the street, and its deep eaves are supported by ornate timber brackets. The gable ends have timber shingles and the face brickwork of the walls is broken up with bands of cement render. The corners of the walls below the street-facing gable are splayed and have a window in the diagonal. Gable roofs project from the side of the street-facing gable towards the rear of the houses, making the building symmetrical. The scale of the roofs, somewhat dominate, if not, overwhelm the houses.
The other nineteenth century houses on the west side of the street are the double-fronted villas at 13, 21 and 29, which although conventional in form are also well-detailed, once again suggesting the involvement of an architect (The other surviving example at No.5 has been significantly altered). No.21 and No.29 are similar and are distinguished by the gablet at the centre front of the M-hip roof. They have skillion verandahs enclosed within projecting wing walls with a framed cast-iron frieze. There are two corbelled brick chimneys. No.13 lacks the gablet detailing that distinguishes the others (perhaps it has been removed?), but it otherwise similar in form and detailing. The brickwork has been rendered or painted over, changing its appearance.
Situated between the Victorian houses, are Edwardian single fronted cottages and bungalows, which were built upon part of the original allotments. The single-fronted example include the very intact cottage at No.27, which has a roughcast facade, triple side-hung casement windows and an unusual flat profile verandah. The timber and cyclone wire fence is complementary. It compares to a similar, but less intact example at no.7. Other relatively intact examples include the gabled fronted bungalows at Nos.19 and 23, and the asymmetrical weatherboard villa at no.31. The house at No.15 is less intact, but retains some original detailing and form.
The east side of the street is less intact than the west and has suffered more from post-war redevelopment, both in terms unsympathetic alterations to original houses and demolition and replacement with new stock. There is one Victorian era house at No.4. It is a weatherboard cottage withtransverse gable roof. The front window has been altered. Adjacent to this cottage at no.2 is a single fronted Edwardian weatherboard cottage and there arefour similar cottages at the northern end of the street at Nos. 24-30. Nos. 2, 24& 26 have traverse hip roofs with a projecting gabled bay and a verandah across the facade with a short return at one side over the entrance with timber ladder frieze. Nos. 28 & 30, on the other hand,are gable fronted with a skillion verandah across the front. Windows in main elevation are triple side-hung casements with coloured toplights. The gable ends have timbering and roughcast detailing and there are corbelled brick chimeneys. Other contributory houses include the double fronted weatherboard villas at 10, 12 and 18, which remain relatively intact compared to the other dwellings.
The contributory houses in Plow Street are generally in good condition and have a relatively high degree of external integrity when viewed from the street. Overall, the precinct has a reasonably high degree of intactness from the two phases of development in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.The non-contributory houses include the post-war houses at 16 and 20, and the very altered Victorian or Edwardian houses at 3, 5, 6, 8, 11,14 & 22.
Heritage Study and Grading
Darebin - Darebin Heritage Study
Author: Context P/L
Year: 2011
Grading: Local
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