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63 Church St

Other Name

House, part shop & row house development

Location

63 CHURCH STREET, RICHMOND VIC 3121 - Property No 150900

File Number

Y2011:2496

Level

Rec for HO area indiv sig

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RICHMOND CHURCH STREET 63.jpg

Statement of Significance

What is significant?
Thomas Meredith, a Richmond, builder, was the first owner of this house row in 1891: each of the five (61-69) houses was described in municipal rate books as 5 rooms and brick, with the shop and residence at 71 as 4 rooms. The row replaced an earlier one of timber houses, each of 4 rooms. Thomas Meredith of Buckingham Street, Richmond had acquired the site in December 1891 and mortgaged it to Thomas Forbes and John Foley in February 1892 to finance the construction: the debt was discharged November 1897 which was surprisingly soon given the financial problems of that decade. Some of the first tenants included Constable Joseph A Donald; Alexander Perry, a Teaman; Caroline Bartlett, widow; and Constable Carl Hausen.

Meredith died 12 April 1908 leaving his widow Mary Ann Meredith, then of 66 Buckingham Street (now flats), as his estate's executor along with Frederick Meredith of 101 Church St, bricklayer and Alphonse William Bice of Hartington St, Kew carpenter. By the early 20th century occupiers included Edward Halpin, a cordial factor; Thos. E Whitford , a Plumber; Ethel McDougall, house duties; Norman Laskie, a driver; Caroline Button; and Luisa Ford, Butcher. Mary Ann died August 1913 and the new owner was Cornelius Joseph Gardner of 63 Brunel street East Malvern, a confectioner. The row was divided up into separate ownership as late as the 1950s.

This row is now a corner shop & residence and only five dwellings (61 demolished). It includes a two-storey, rendered parapeted corner shop and residence, with attached four bichromatic (cream, red) Italianate style, singlestorey, single-fronted row-houses, all with unusual double-storey rear wings.

The shop has a ruled coursed rendered facade with a deep cornice mould and frieze, painted face brick side wall, and a near intact timber shop-front. The house row has a continuous gable profile main roof, without exposed party walls, but the end house has massive stepped party walls. The two-storey rear wings have hipped roofs.

There are turned eaves-brackets, vermiculated corbels, scroll-brackets and a cast-iron verandah frieze. There are tripartite windows and fanlight in orange and cream bricks. The verandahs have encaustic geometric tiled floors and paths, with bluestone edging. Chimneys are unpainted render, classically moulded.

Some of the windows have been altered, the slate roof replaced with various materials and some of the facade brickwork painted over. The verandah frieze has been replaced on 69 Church Street.

How is it significant?
The shop & row house development at 63-71 Church Street, Richmond is historically and aesthetically significant (National Estate Register Criteria A4, E1) to the locality of Richmond and the City of Yarra.

Why is it significant?
The Shop & row house development at 63-71 Church is significant historically and architecturally to the Richmond locality:
- as a relatively well-preserved Victorian-era house row and shop from the boom era of the City's development;
- for the uncommon two-storey rear wings to the houses and the rare timber shopfront at 71; and
- for the historical association with a local builder developer, Thomas Meredith.

Group

Heritage Inventory Site Type