Former Methodist Church, 79 Hesse Street
79 Hesse Street QUEENSCLIFF, QUEENSCLIFFE BOROUGH
Hesse Street Commercial Precinct
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Statement of Significance
Statement of Significance as recorded under the Queenscliff Heritage Study 2009
The 1868 and 1888 Methodist churches, and the adjacent St Andrews, create an ecclesiastical precinct in Queenscliff, given their similar gabled form and the use of face brickwork in the two later churches. They also form a transition in the streetscape from the commercial section of Hesse Street, to the residential quarter to the south and to the east. The former Methodist Church is aesthetically significant as a well designed and detailed late nineteenth century church building designed in a Gothic Revival style. It is historically significant as an example of a nineteenth century church building in the township. Its successful adaptation to commercial premises is also demonstrative of the recent stage of development in the township, where tourism has been revived and Queenscliff has become, once again, a popular resort. The former Methodist Church is architecturally significant as an example of the work of the prominent Melbourne architectural firm of Oakden Addison & Kemp. The former Methodist Church is socially significant as a building known, used and valued, originally as a church, and in more recent years as a bookshop and cafe, by the local community and visitors to Queenscliff.
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Former Methodist Church, 79 Hesse Street - Physical Description 1
Extract from the 2009 study
The former Methodist Church is a brick church situated on the east side of Hesse Street, north of Stokes Street. It forms one of a group of three church buildings at or near the Hesse and Stokes streets corner. The church is now used as a cafe (Apostle Cafe). Despite having not been used as a church for many years, the building retains its integrity both internally and externally.
The former Methodist Church is set back from its street frontage by a shallow garden. A timber picket fence (sympathetic but not original) extends along its Hesse Street boundary and this fence continues to form the fence of the adjacent former Wesleyan Church/Sunday School. A garden extends along the north and south sides of the church, with mature plantings on the north side. Clinker brick stairs, with wrought iron handrails (not original), lead from Hesse Street to the entrance of the church.
The church is symmetrically composed and designed in a Gothic Revival style. A slightly projecting bay at centre has a pointed arched opening which contains the entrance to the church. The entrance has a pair of plain timber doors and a stained glass fanlight. Two pointed arched, stained glass windows flank this central entrance and below each entrance is a stone. One stone reads:
THIS STONE WAS LAID BY MR HENRY BERRY J.P. ON THE 20 AUGUST 1888
The other stone reads:
THIS STONE WAS LAID BY THE HON. DAVID HAM M.L.C. ON THE 20 AUGUST 1888
Above the projecting entrance are three pointed arched windows that have stained glass. The stained glass windows depict nautical themes of an anchor, lighthouse and a boat. The brickwork of the facade is broken up with rendered bands, render around window and door openings and on parts of the buttresses. The gable end of the Hesse Street elevation has tapestry brickwork at its top. On the rear wall of the church is a large rose window. The gable roof of the church is clad in slate tile.
Former Methodist Church, 79 Hesse Street - Intactness
GOOD
Heritage Study and Grading
Queenscliffe - Queenscliffe Heritage Study
Author: Lovell Chen
Year: 2009
Grading:
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LATHAMSTOWEVictorian Heritage Register H1052
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PILOTS COTTAGESVictorian Heritage Register H1618
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ROSENFELDVictorian Heritage Register H1134
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