Torrington
17-19 Huntingtower Road ARMADALE, STONNINGTON CITY
-
Add to tour
You must log in to do that.
-
Share
-
Shortlist place
You must log in to do that.
- Download report
Statement of Significance
What is significant?
'Torrington' at 17-19 Huntingtower Road, Armadale, is significant. It was built c1886 and comprises a substantial single-storey Italianate villa constructed to an asymmetrical plan form with a cast-iron return verandah set between two perpendicular projecting bays.
The house was built for John Yeoman (1857-1933), a professional photographer and owner of John Yeoman & Co. photographic studios. Yeoman was a well-known commercial photographer with a number of studios around Melbourne and suburbs. It was also the residence of the Surveyor-General of Victoria, Joseph Martin Reed (1857-1932), who occupied the house from 1900 until c1906.
The house is significant as viewed and appreciated from Huntingtower Road, and is significant to the extent of its nineteenth century external form and fabric.
Modern additions and alterations are not significant.
How is it significant?
'Torrington' at 17-19 Huntingtower Road, Armadale is of local architectural and aesthetic significance to the City of Stonnington.
Why is it significant?
'Torrington' is architecturally a fine and highly intact representative example of a substantial Victorian Italianate villa residence built for middle-class residents of Armadale, of the sort that began to characterise the suburb in the 1880s and 1890s. 'Torrington' exhibits typical features of this type including the asymmetrical plan form of a projecting canted bay to one side of a return cast-iron verandah, intact ruled render finish, hipped roof clad in slate and rendered chimneys with heavy cornices. (Criterion D)
Aesthetically, 'Torrington' is distinguished by its highly ornate cement render detailing which includes: the closely spaced eaves brackets set between rosettes; the moulded cornices with consoles and shell motifs to the three visible chimneys; and the large incised floral patterns on the rendered walls beneath the verandah. Other render details to the bay window fronting Huntingtower Road include the inset spiral colonnettes that mark the corners of the canted bay, the inset barley-twist Corinthian colonnettes framing the windows, vermiculated keystones, moulded imposts with rosette details and the floral brackets to sills. (Criterion E)
-
-
Torrington - Physical Description 1
'Torrington' is a substantial single-storey Italianate villa that occupies a deep allotment on the west side of Huntingtower Road, north of High Street. The house is set back from the street behind a sympathetic reproduction metal palisade fence and a modern turning circle.
Constructed c1886 'Torrington' is asymmetrically planned with a return verandah set between two perpendicular projecting canted bay windows. The asymmetrical form became popular during the 1880s, and in this respect the house is a relatively typical, although large, suburban Italianate villa. It has a hipped slate roof with an ogee profile return verandah clad in corrugated iron. The cast iron verandah is highly intact with fluted columns and fine integrated cast iron patterns within a chevron motif. The house is rendered and retains its ruled finish. It is distinguished by its highly ornate cement render detailing, including the closely spaced eaves brackets set between rosettes; the moulded cornices with consoles and shell motifs to the three visible chimneys; and the large incised floral patterns on the rendered walls beneath the verandah.
The bay window fronting Huntingtower Road is elaborate with segmentally arched double-hung sash windows with inset barley-twist Corinthian colonnettes framing the windows, and vermiculated keystones. The moulded imposts are continuous with rosette details. The sills rest on floral brackets. Inset spiral colonnettes also mark the corners of the canted bay. Other windows are segmentally arched double-hung sashes. The entrance door retains its elaborate timber surround with sidelights and highlights that may retain original decorative glazing.
Recent Marshall White real estate photos (2010) show a large two-storey extension to the rear of the house which is not readily visible from Huntingtower Road. The extension presents a two-storey verandah with central gabled section to the rear of the property which is largely occupied by a tennis court. The property brochure also shows intact period details to the interior including plaster mouldings and stone fireplace surrounds to the front rooms.
Torrington - Local Historical Themes
This place illustrates the following themes, as identified in the Stonnington Thematic Environmental History (Context Pty Ltd, rev. 2009):
3.3.3 Speculators and land boomers
8.2.1 'Country in the city' - Suburban development in Malvern before WWI
10.8 The arts
'Torrington' is of historical interest for its association with professional photographer John Yeoman (1857-1933) of John Yeoman & Co. photographic studios.
Heritage Study and Grading
Stonnington - City of Stonnington Victorian Houses Study
Author: City of Stonnington
Year: 2016
Grading: A2
-
-
-
-
-
ARMADALE PRIMARY SCHOOLVictorian Heritage Register H1640
-
ARMADALE HOUSEVictorian Heritage Register H0637
-
STONINGTONVictorian Heritage Register H1608
-
-