Former State Savings Bank, 60 Main Street, STAWELL
60 Main Street STAWELL, NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
The former State Savings Bank, 60 Main Street, Stawell, makes a significant contribution to the architectural and visual amenity of the predominantly 19th and early 20th century commercial streetscape. The form and rear sections of the building also contribute to the architectural amenity of the area. The building has significance as an important legacy of the financial institutions established in the town in the 19th century prior to the world-wide financial collapse of the early 1890s. In particular, this building was constructed in 1888 for the State Savings Bank to a design by the Melbourne-based architects, Inskip and Robertson. The building is in good condition and is largely intact from the exterior.
The former State Savings Bank is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. It demonstrates original design qualities of a restrained Late Victorian Boom Classical style. These qualities include the simple rectangular form and the two-bayed composition, the narrower bay forming a side ground floor entrance. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the asymmetrical composition, two storey height, rendered brick wall construction, segmentally arched and round arched ground floor and first floor window drip moulds punctuated by keystones, stylised window pilasters, timber framed double hung windows, smoothly rusticated ground floor pilasters with stylised capitals and decorative festoons, plain pilaster pedestals, projecting smoothly finished plinth, projecting moulded cornices, plain entablatures, widely projecting stringcourse, panelled and fluted first floor pilasters with stylised Ionic capitals having cartouches and festoons, and the crowning parapet (with the narrow bay having a solid panelled parapet and the wider bay having a balustraded parapet). There are also rear intact or appropriate design qualities that contribute to the significance of the place and include: hipped roof form clad in slate, broadly projecting eaves with exposed timber rafters, curved parapets that terminate near the main facade, side and rear face red brick wall construction, face red brick chimneys, timber framed double hung windows, and the first floor timber verandah columns and valance. The rear single storey hipped roof wing of identical construction as the main building also contributes to the significance of the place.
The former State Savings Bank is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with the development of the State Savings Bank from 1888, and with the 19th century Stawell and Melbourne-based architects, Inskip and Robertson.
The former State Savings Bank is socially significant at a LOCAL level. Although no longer serving as a bank, it is recognised and valued by the Stawell community for its former purpose.
Overall, the former State Savings Bank is of LOCAL significance.
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Former State Savings Bank, 60 Main Street, STAWELL - Physical Description 1
The former State Savings Bank, 60 Main Street, Stawell, makes an important architectural and visual contribution to the streetscape of predominantly 19th century building forms. The building remains today as an important legacy of the financial institutions established in town in the 19th century.
The asymmetrical, two storey, rendered brick, restrained Late Victorian Boom Classical styled building is characterised by a simple rectangular form having a two-bayed composition with the narrow bay forming a side, ground floor entrance. This entrance has a segmentally arched transom with elaborate segmentally arched drip mould punctuated by a keystone. Similar drip moulds are a feature of the windows of the other ground floor bay. Supporting the drip moulds are stylised window pilasters. The double hung ground floor windows appear to be early, although the aluminium framed and glazed entrance door and transom have been introduced.
The corner entrance is also emphasised by the smoothly rusticated pilasters that have stylised capitals with decorative festoons. These pilasters are supported by plain pedestals and a projecting smoothly finished plinth. Above the pilasters is a projecting moulded cornice and a plain entablature having a projecting rectangular title panel. The ground floor is separated from the first floor by a widely projecting stringcourse. The window openings and Classical elaboration (arcuated window moulds, keystones and window pilasters) are similar to the ground floor, except that the windows have round heads. The timber framed double hung windows are also early. The dominant pilasters surrounding the two first floor bays are also more elaborate, with incised panelling and fluting, and stylised Ionic capitals with cartouches and festoons. Above the pilasters is a distinctively plain entablature. The building is crowned by a widely projecting cornice and parapet, the narrow bay having a solid panelled parapet with the wider bay having a balustraded parapet.
The rear of the building is characterised by a hipped roof form clad in slate with broadly projecting eaves with exposed timber rafters. Curved parapets terminate near the main facade of the building. The side and rear walls are constructed of face red brickwork, as are the chimneys that adorn the roofline. The timber framed double hung windows are early, and there is evidence of an early first floor verandah balcony shown by the extant early timber columns and valance, although the verandah has been altered with the introduction of lightweight walls and aluminium framed windows.
There is also an early single storey hipped roof wing of identical construction to the main building. An introduced skillion added projects at the rear of this building and is clad in lightweight construction.
Comparative
George Inskip was also responsible for the design of the restrained Late Victorian Boom Classical styled former Union Bank building, 153 Main Street, Stawell, in 1887.
Heritage Study and Grading
Northern Grampians - Shire of Northern Grampians - Stage 2 Heritage Study
Author: Wendy Jacobs, Vicki Johnson, David Rowe, Phil Taylor
Year: 2004
Grading: Local
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COMMONWEALTH MEMORIALVictorian Heritage Register H1943
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