Fenton Street
1-49 & 2-38 FENTON STREET, ASCOT VALE, MOONEE VALLEY CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
The Fenton Street precinct, which is a residential area comprising Federation and Edwardian era houses constructed c.1910 to c.1920 at nos. 1-49 and 2-38 Fenton Street, Ascot Vale is significant. The following buildings and features contribute to the significance of the place:
- The Contributory houses at nos. 1-7, 11-49 and 2-38 Fenton Street.
- The visual homogeneity created by the similar (or in some cases, identical) form, materials, detailing, ornament and siting of the houses, most of which demonstrate Queen Anne influences.
- The extent to which development in one period after 1910 is apparent and the high level of integrity to the original period with only one non-contributory house.
- The low front fences, which allow views to the front and side elevations of the houses.
- The relatively high intactness of the majority of the houses when viewed from the street.
- The bluestone kerb and channel and bluestone laneway adjacent to no.2 Fenton Street.
Non-original alterations and additions to the Contributory houses are not significance, and the house at no.9 is Non-contributory.
How is it significant?
The Fenton Street precinct is of local historic and aesthetic significance to the City of Moonee Valley.
Why is it significant?
Historically, the precinct demonstrates the rapid residential development in Ascot Vale in the early decades of the twentieth century, which was stimulated by the development of the electric tramway network. (Criterion A)
Aesthetically, the precinct is significant as a visually homogenous streetscape of Edwardian era houses, some with Queen Anne influences, which are related in scale, form and detailing. (Criteria D & E)
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Fenton Street - Physical Description 1
The Fenton Street precinct comprises a very intact and visually homogeneous group of Federation and Edwardian era houses. The houses have varying frontage widths, containing both detached and attached housing, but have similar form (hipped and gabled roofs, front or side verandahs), materials, ornament and siting, The majority of houses are relatively intact when viewed from the street - while some houses have second floor additions, they are sited at the rear and are not visually intrusive. Fences are uniformly low allowing views of the houses, which are set close to the frontage, and although not original are constructed in materials and styles that are sympathetic to the era of the housing.
The majority of the houses are constructed or timber or red brick with stucco detailing with Queen Anne influences such as asymmetical planning, hip roofs with prominent projecting gables facing the street, half timbering to the gable ends, verandahs with ornamental timber frieze or valance, tall brick and render chimneys with terracotta pots, and casement sash windows (sometimes with coloured toplights).
The brick single fronted examples have very similar (in some cases almost identical) form and detailing, which suggests that they were constructed by the same builder. This includes the consistent use of window hoods, small side verandahs with cast iron frieze or timber fretwork, decorative barge boards and various treatments of the gable ends including brick with vermiculated panels (e.g. 21, 23, 25) or a circular 'bulls-eye' motif (e.g., nos. 19, 24), timber gable screens (e.g., nos. 16, 18, 19, 21, 23), half-timbering (e.g., nos. 5, 7, 11-17, 20, 22, 26, 35 etc.), while nos. 1 and 3 have Art Nouveau decoration, and no.37 has a variation on a Fleur de Lys. The timber examples are similarly styled and range from relatively plain (e.g., nos. 28, 30) to more elaborate (e.g., no. 39, which has a well-detailed gabled porch with Art Nouveau detailing). The majority of these houses are very intact.
The single fronted houses also include three transitional cottages with hipped roofs at nos. 6-12. nos. 6 and 12 are relatively intact with box bay windows, while the windows to nos. 8 and 10 have been replaced.
The double fronted houses include no.14 and 32-38 on the south side and 27-33 on the north. The house at no.14 and the odd-numbered houses are typically Edwardian in character, asymmetrical in plan with projecting gables. The house at no.27 is in brick while the others are timber houses (No.14 is clad in fake brick). The group at nos. 32-38, on the other hand, is more transitional in style between the late Victorian to the Federation/Edwardian period. The houses at nos. 32 and 34, for example, have the symmetrical form of the former and the simplified decoration of the latter. The use of similar detailing for these four houses (for example, the paired sash windows, paired eaves brackets and corbelled brick chimneys) suggests that the same builder was responsible for their construction.
Heritage Study and Grading
Moonee Valley - Moonee Valley Heritage Overlay Places Review
Author: David Helms Heritage Planning
Year: 2012
Grading: LocalMoonee Valley - Essendon Conservation Study
Author: Graeme Butler
Year: 1985
Grading:Moonee Valley - Moonee Valley 2017 Heritage Study
Author: Context
Year: 2019
Grading:
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FORMER ROYAL PARK PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALVictorian Heritage Register H2062
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PREFABRICATED RESIDENCEVictorian Heritage Register H1207
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GLENDALOUGHVictorian Heritage Register H1202
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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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'NORWAY'Boroondara City
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1 Mitchell StreetYarra City
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