Clare House (formerly Hintonville)
56 Stanhope Street MALVERN, STONNINGTON CITY
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Statement of Significance
'Hintonville', at 56 Stanhope Street, Malvern is significant. It was built c1889 and comprises a single-storey residential design with distinctive detailing illustrating the stylistic excesses and flamboyance of the late Boom period.
It was subsequently owned and occupied by the Mahon family, from 1895 to 1917. Hugh Mahon was an Irish-born journalist and later a member of the Australian Federal parliament. He was the former colleague and gaol mate of the failed Irish nationalist leader Charles Stewart Parnell and took a firm stance against British occupation of Ireland in 1920, for which he was expelled from Parliament.
'Hintonville' features polychrome brickwork, a classic Italianate asymmetrical plan form and a distinctive cast-cement balustraded parapet. The house is highly intact externally, and the house is significant to the extent of its nineteenth century form and fabric. The modern alterations and additions are not significant.
The setting of 'Hintonville', as one of a unique group of villas that are highly illustrative of the Boom-style located in Stanhope Street, contributes to its significance.
How is it significant?
'Hintonville', at 56 Stanhope Street, Malvern is of local architectural, aesthetic and associative significance to the City of Stonnington.
Why is it significant?
Architecturally, 'Hintonville' is a highly intact, representative example of the Boom-style houses constructed in Melbourne's suburbs in the late 1880s and early 1890s. It demonstrates the stylistic excesses and the flamboyance of the late Boom period and is synonymous with the stylistic group of villas constructed on the south side of Stanhope Street c1889. A successful design expression for terrace houses, here, the 'Boom-style' has been translated into a detached 'row house' form which is uncommon in the eastern suburbs of the City of Stonnington. (Criterion D)
Aesthetically, the house is distinguished by its polychrome brickwork and highly decorated and boldly modelled parapet. The brickwork is expressed in tuckpointed brown Hawthorn brick with cream and red brick dressings in the form of surrounds to the windows, door, blind niche, and to the building corners. The balustraded parapet with classical urn balusters set between piers with raised and fielded panels is embellished with a semi-circular pediment with scalloped shield motif above the house name. Urns, masks, raised panels, dentil mouldings and eaves brackets separated by rosettes add further interest to the cast cement parapet. The house also retains its ogee-profile cast-iron verandah with high quality floral motifs to the cast-iron lacework and ornamental iron post with Corinthian capitals. (Criterion E)
'Hintonville' is of historical and associative significance for its ownership and occupation by Hugh Mahon (1857-1931), who was an Irish nationalist, compatriot of Charles Stewart Parnell, and Member of the Australian Federal Parliament. He was the only politician ever to be expelled from the Australian parliament for his 'disloyalty' to Britain over Britain's treatment of Ireland. This association illustrates the strong Catholic character of Stanhope Street, which was described as Malvern's 'Catholic precinct', as it was furnished with a Catholic primary school, presbytery, brothers' residence, church, and church hall, attracting a predominantly Catholic population. (Criteria A & H)
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Clare House (formerly Hintonville) - Physical Description 1
The residence at 56 Stanhope Street, originally known as 'Hintonville', is a single-storey polychrome brick residence that forms part of the unique group of villas located in Stanhope Street which demonstrate the stylistic excess and flamboyance of the late Boom period. The row of detached villas (No.s 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54 and 56) occupy allotments on the south side of Stanhope Street between Glenferrie Road and Irving Street in Malvern. No. 56 is set back from the street behind a small garden and a sympathetic (reproduction) timber picket fence.
Constructed c1889, the building is highly intact. It has an asymmetrical plan which features a projecting canted bay to one side of an ogee-profile cast-iron verandah. The building is distinguished by the highly decorated and boldly modelled parapet that conceals the M-profile hipped roof behind. The roof is now clad in corrugated iron which is likely to be a later change (i.e. from slate). The chimneys are cement rendered with cornices which are typical of the era. The balustraded parapet with classical urn balusters set between piers with raised and fielded panels is embellished by a semi-circular pediment with scalloped shield motif above the house name (altered) which is set in a panel. Urns, masks, raised panels, dentil mouldings and eaves brackets separated by rosettes add further interest to the cast cement parapet.
The front facade is of tuckpointed brown Hawthorn brick with cream and red brick dressings in the form of surrounds to the windows, door, blind niche, and to the building corners. Windows to the projecting canted bay are three segmentally-arched double-hung sashes and beneath the verandah are two double-hung sash windows which are flanked on either side by small niches. The front door, which is located beneath the verandah closest to the canted bay, retains its sidelights and highlight with decorative glazing.
The cast-iron verandah retains its ogee-profile corrugated iron roof and appears to be intact. High quality cast-iron work includes floral motifs to the frieze lacework and ornamental iron supports with Corinthian capitals. Dentil mouldings to the timber verandah beam complete the composition.
The residence has a very high level of intactness, with extensions constructed c2000 restricted to the rear (south) and west elevations which are not readily visible from Stanhope Street.
Clare House (formerly Hintonville) - 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
8.4.1 Houses as a symbol of wealth, status and fashion
Heritage Study and Grading
Stonnington - City of Stonnington Victorian Houses Study
Author: City of Stonnington
Year: 2016
Grading: A2
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MYOORAVictorian Heritage Register H0490
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MALVERN RAILWAY STATIONVictorian Heritage Register H1575
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MALVERN TRAM DEPOTVictorian Heritage Register H0910
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