18 McIntyre St

18 McIntyre Street

This house is of regional significance for the quality of its architecture and for its historical associations, particularly with its first owner, Frederick Gummow (1862-1909). From 1888 Gummow was manager of the Colonial Bank, Hamilton, and from 1896 he became one of the town's most prosperous auctioneers.He was a relative of H B Gummow, the newspaper proprietor. ([1]) His large brick residence in McIntyre Street was constructed in 1904. ([2])

It is not known who designed the house. One of the most distinctive and certainly the most innovative late Victorian houses in Hamilton, it is especially notable for its successful combination of avant garde details. While the form of the house is typical of the later nineteenth century, the battlements over the bay windows and the prominent stepped gable are drawn from the Queen Anne style. Other transitional indicators are the combination of timber and cast iron in the verandah frieze, the bull nose verandah roof, the rough cast detailing of the gables and the label moulds of the chimneys. Also of interest are the architraves of the windows which along with the rendering in the gables, hark back to the late mediaeval origins of the Queen Ann style.

The main feature of this garden is the well maintained large privet hedge along the front fence. The hedge provides a strong visual feature to both the house and the streetscape.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House