Office Building
28 Fenwick Street, GEELONG VIC 3220 - Property No 213228
City East Heritage Area
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Statement of Significance
C Listed - Local Significance
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The building at 28 Fenwick Street has significance as one of Geelong's early substantial urban residential buildings. Although altered, the Victorian stylistic qualities, forms, construction and details are still evident, as are the early brick service wing at the rear and the detached brick stables building. Originally built in c.1854 and altered and extended at various times in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the building has associations with some of Geelong's early identities including the Towle brothers (Dr Frederick Towle was a local surgeon) and George Cunningham, MLA. The building appears to be in fair condition when viewed from the street.
The building at 28 Fenwick Street is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. Although altered, it still demonstrates original design qualities of a Victorian style. These qualities include the dominant rendered brick parapet having a projecting stringcourse supported by ornamental brackets with decorative motifs between, timber framed and glazed first floor French doors with leadlighted highlights, evidence of the original arched ground floor openings, incised panelled ground floor pilasters with moulded Tuscan capitals, and the pitched roof forms. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the rendered brick wall construction, two storey height, rendered brick chimneys with multi-corbelled tops and terra cotta pots, narrow eaves, projecting rear wing with an stained glass arched window and balconette balustrade on the first floor, doorway with a mid Victorian Tuscan door surround, projecting timber framed double hung bay window on the side facade, and the timber framed double hung window on the first floor. The rear brick service wing with pitched galvanised corrugated iron roof forms, rear detached brick stables outbuilding with a gabled galvanised corrugated steel roof and the side cast iron palisade fence at the front also contribute to the significance of the place.
The building at 28 Fenwick Street is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with substantial urban residential developments in Geelong in the mid 19th century. In particular, this building has associations with Thomas Towle, original owner prior to 1854, and also with Dr Frederick Towle, surgeon and George Cunningham, MLA, both later prominent owners in the 19th century.
Overall, the building at 28 Fenwick Street is of LOCAL significance.
REFERENCE
Drainage Plans and Reports, Barwon Water profis system, 1917.
Maps from App. 46199, re. part of Allotments 2,3,5 and 6, Sec. 46, Victorian Lands Office.
Conveyance Memorial Book 178, No. 718, dated 15 April, 1868, Victorian Lands Office.
Morrow, W., Geelong Advertiser Index, 1850-66, and 1867-69, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
A. Sutherland, Victoria and its Metropolis: Past and Present, vol. 2, McCarron, Bird & Co., Melbourne, 1888, p. 170.
Thomson, K. and Serle, G., A Biographical Register of the Victorian Parliament 1859-1900, 1972.
Sands & McDougall Geelong Directory 1972, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Sands & McDougall "Invicta" Geelong Directory 1968, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Geelong City Council Rate Books (Kardinia Ward) 1853-1960, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Geelong Town Plan 1854, 1858, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Removed from City Fringe Heritage Area (HO1639)
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Office Building - Physical Description 1
DESCRIPTION
The building at 28 Fenwick Street, Geelong, is set on a contextually large allotment for the local area. It is located on the front and one side boundary, with an open grassed yard at the other (south) side. At the rear is a detached brick stables outbuilding with a gabled galvanised corrugated steel roof.
The two storey, rendered brick, largely altered Victorian styled building is characterised by a dominant rendered brick parapet having a projecting stringcourse supported by ornamental brackets with decorative motifs between. Below the parapet is an altered balcony that was possibly introduced in the early 20th century as it is suggestive of Edwardian and interwar Bungalow design. It has timber columns and decorative, stylised geometric fretwork valances, with a curved solid and capped balustrade simulating shingling. This balustrade is supported by large, curved brackets. The first floor is comprised of four bays of early timber framed and glazed French doors with leadlighted highlights.
The ground floor has also been greatly altered from the original mid 19th century design. The original bays of arched openings are discerned above the introduced aluminium framed shopfronts. Other original features of the ground floor include the incised panelling forming pilasters with moulded Tuscan capitals.
To the rear of the parapetted main facade is a projecting hipped roof wing clad in galvanised corrugated steel. It has an early arched window with early stained glass and a balconette balustrade on the first floor, and an early doorway with a mid Victorian Tuscan door surround (although the door has been introduced). There is a projecting timber framed double hung bay window on the south side, with an early timber framed double hung window on the first floor.
Beyond the rear two storey wing is an introduced extension in the south-west corner.
At the rear of the original building is the early brick service wing with pitched roof forms clad in galvanised corrugated iron.
Other early features of the design include the rendered brick chimneys with multi-corbelled tops and terra cotta pots and narrow eaves.
Heritage Study and Grading
Greater Geelong - Geelong City Urban Conservation Study, Volumes 2-5
Author: Graeme Butler
Year: 1991
Grading: CGreater Geelong - Geelong City Urban Conservation Study Volume 1
Author: Graeme Butler
Year: 1993
Grading: CGreater Geelong - Geelong City 'C' Citations Study
Author: Dr David Rowe
Year: 2002
Grading:Geelong City Fringe Heritage Area Review
Author: RBA Architects + Conservation Consultants
Year: 2018
Grading:
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FORMER GEELONG WOOL EXCHANGEVictorian Heritage Register H0622
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FORMER SCOTTISH CHIEFS HOTELVictorian Heritage Register H0662
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GEELONG TOWN HALLVictorian Heritage Register H0184
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