Lygon Street Precinct D
128-140 & 129-135 LYGON STREET, BRUNSWICK EAST, MORELAND CITY
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Statement of Significance
The Lygon Street Precinct D area is a small commercial area comprising a portion of Lygon Street between Piera and O'Connor Streets. It exhibits two distinct periods of suburban development within the locality, principally the 1880s land boom, and the subsequent interwar suburban consolidation and growth in Brunswick. Suburban development in the area occurred from around 1885, consistent with the construction date of the earliest surviving buildings in the precinct, the 'Lygon Buildings' at 132-140 Lygon Street. This terrace of five two storey late Victorian shops date from 1891. The east side of the precinct contains these buildings, and on the opposite corner of Piera Street, a highly intact two storey 1920s pair of shops survives. On the west side of the precinct is a row of intact 1920s shops with simple face brick or rendered parapets terminating in a two storey Edwardian shop with render dressing. Residential housing stock surrounding the precinct reflects the two key periods demonstrated in the precinct, late Victorian to the east in O'Connor and Piera Streets, and Edwardian and interwar west of Lygon Street in Warburton Street and beyond. Overall, the precinct is in good condition, and retains a high degree of integrity, particularly in the upper storey facades.
- The row of single storey c.1920s shops with simple decorative parapets in face brick or render (129-133a Lygon Street)
- The 'Lygon Buildings' (c.1891) a row of two storey Victorian Shops, including their upper storey classical detailing, inset panels of tiles and the original cast iron verandah at 132. (132-140 Lygon Street).
- The pair of highly intact c. 1920 shops at 128-130 Lygon Street
- The generally high integrity of upper level facades on two storey buildings
- The high degree of integrity of single storey shopfronts, original detailing and finishes typically comprising stallboard tiles, metal framed shopfronts and entrance doors as well as decorative parapets finished either in face brick or render
- The intact shopfronts at 117, 88-90,106, 100a and 115 Lygon Street
- The intact verandahs at 38-42, 86, 103, 109-109a, 113 Lygon Street
- Retail buildings with roofs concealed by parapets
- The consistent one or two storey scale of retail buildings.
- The attached form of retail buildings with no front setbacks and similar facade widths creating a repetitive module.
- The form and fabric of surviving early shopfronts, typically built with large timber or metal framed display windows above stall boards, smaller highlight windows (often with leadlight glazing), glazed ceramic tile surfaces, and recessed doorways.
- The form and fabric of the decorative parapets finished either in face brick or render on the single storey shops
- External signage generally restricted to verandah fascias or suspended from the underside of verandahs.
- The limited number of modern internally illuminated signs.
- Bluestone access laneways at the rear of commercial premises
Non-contributory elements include:
- The single storey shop at 133b Lygon Street
The Lygon Street Precinct D area is of local historical and aesthetic significance to the City of Merri-bek.
The Lygon Street Precinct D area is historically significant for its capacity to demonstrate the two major phases of development in the Municipality associated with the 1880s land boom and the period of economic recovery and prosperity following the First World War. The 'Lygon Buildings' on the east side of were constructed to provide services for the small local community in the Piera and O'Connor Street area. The interwar development on the southern corner of Piera and Lygon Street and on the west side of the precinct correlates to the subdivision of land in Warburton Street area, immediately west of the precinct. Collectively, they combine to show the development of Lygon Street as a continuing arrangement of small shopping strips constructed primarily to service the residential subdivisions which were created in periods of economic growth. (Criteria A)
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Lygon Street Precinct D - Physical Description 1
This precinct is located on the east and west sides of Lygon Street, located around Piera Street. It comprises a group of single-storey and two-storey shops, dating from the late 19th century to the interwar era.
The earliest buildings in the precinct, Nos 132-140, are the five two-storey Victorian shops that comprise the Lygon Buildings. They stretch from Piera Street, to the north. The rendered upper-storey facades feature simple classical details such as engaged piers, and window aedicules with flat pediments resting on scrolled corbels. Below the windows are inset panels of decorative tiles (overpainted to all but No 132). No 132 also retains a cast-iron verandah with a convex roof and a timber shop window.
The other shops have modern shopfronts and no or recent verandahs. It appears that the row had balustraded parapets originally, of which only the piers survive at No 134.
On the south side of Piera Street is a pair of 1920s two-storey shops which are highly intact. Both have cantilevered verandahs, and metal-framed shopfronts with tiled stallboards and recessed entries. The upper stories are expressed in horizontal bands of red brick, roughcast render, lines of clinker brick, and smooth render piers and parapet edged with a line of red brick and brick dentils. The large wall area (including the parapet) makes the one-over-one sash windows look diminutive.
The stallboard tiles of No 128 have been overpainted, and one of the sash windows to the first floor of No 130 has been replaced with louvers, otherwise they are intact.
On the west side of Lygon Street is a row of single-storey interwar shops terminating with a Federation-era shop. The Federation shop is a two-storey brick building with render dressings. Of note is the decorative frame around the bank of three sash windows to the first floor; it has incised floral designs at the top and scalloped side and skirt decorations.
The single-storey interwar shops have a variety of parapet designs, from a semi-circular motif at No 129, to a simple rectangular parapet in unpainted render at No 133A, and a wide stepped parapet with rectangular and curved corners above Nos 131 & 133. Nos 129, 133 and 133A all retain their original metal-framed shopfronts and entrance doors, while Nos 129 and 133A also retain the stallboard tiles.
The face brick of Nos 129-133 and 135 has been overpainted. The shopfronts of Nos 131 and 135 have been replaced, and the posted verandah of No 135 has been removed, as has the cantilevered verandah of No 129 . No 133B is not contributory.
Integrity: The precinct retains a high degree of integrity, particularly in the upper stories. Alterations have occurred to many of the shopfronts, but a number retain original shopfronts and verandahs.
Condition: All of the buildings in the precinct appear to be in good condition.
Heritage Study and Grading
Moreland - Lygon Street Heritage Study Stage 2
Author: Context Pty Ltd
Year: 2012
Grading: Local
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RESIDENCEVictorian Heritage Register H1219
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SOUTH BRUNSWICK BRICKWORKSVictorian Heritage Inventory
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FORMER BRUNSWICK CABLE TRAM DEPOT PRECINCTVictorian Heritage Inventory
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