Cleve Brothers, later Blight and Company warehouses, 234-244 King Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Title:
Cleve Brothers, later Blight and Company warehouses, 234-244 King Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 105379
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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Graphic materialsTextual material
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2021:__________________________________________________Period: Early VictorianConstruction date: 1854-1855 (242-244), 1858 (234-240)Materials: (242-244) Brick stuccoArchitects: (234-240) Leonard TerryBUILDER: Amess, Samuel.VICTORIA HERITAGE REGISTER H0066Statement of SignificanceWhat is significant?Charles Cleve, merchant, acquired the land now occupied by the former F Blight & Co buildings in September 1853. Notice of intent to build two stone stores for Cleave and Cameron on the corner of King and Lonsdale Streets was given by builder Samuel Amess on 17 August 1853 but these buildings were probably demolished in 1858 to make way for new stores for Cleve Bros, designed by architect Leonard Terry. These stores are the three-storey bluestone building with a facade to King Street.On 3 March 1854 architect Charles Laing tendered for the erection in King Street of a bluestone and brick store for Charles Cleave. On 10 March 1854 Amess gave notice of intent to build this store for Cleve Bros on the corner of King and Lonsdale. This is the extant building on the southeast corner of King and Lonsdale Streets. These buildings internally now form one building but externally still appear separate entities.All the buildings were owned by Cleve Bros until 1870 and continuously occupied by them until 1888. Import duties on over 160 items were reduced in 1853 to only wines, spirits, tobacco, tea and coffee. The corner building operated as Bonded Store for goods with import tariffs from 1859 to 1888, whilst the King Street buildings operated as a Free Store between 1856 and 1888. Later operators used the buildings for storing bales of wool for export. From 1922 the buildings were owned by Frederick Blight & Co.In February 1885 architects Reed, Henderson and Smart tendered for the reinstating fire damage at Cleve's Store in Lonsdale Street. In April 1886 the same architects tendered for the construction of an additional storey. Internally this part of the building possesses a riveted steel frame, possibly introduced to support the additional floor. This corner building, constructed with a bluestone ground floor and upper floors of brick, has been considerably altered externally. Access doors on the upper levels to both King Street and Lonsdale Street, served by a jib and pulley, have been removed and replaced by windows.The interior of the building was refurbished in the 1970s as a restaurant and now has a very low degree of integrity.How is it significant?The Former F Blight & Co Warehouses are of historical and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.Why is it significant?The Former F Blight & Co Warehouses are historically significant as an example of the bonded and free stores that operated under the colonial tariff system before Federation in 1901. They were located close to the docks on the Yarra River, where most inter-colonial and international goods were landed in Victoria. With Seabrook House, this group of buildings is a reminder of the historic mercantile importance of this part of Melbourne.The Former F Blight & Co Warehouses are architecturally significant for their associations with noted architects Charles Laing and Leonard Terry. The King Street building by Terry is a particularly notable as a restrained example of his preferred Renaissance Revival style. The restrained styling is in contrast to the more elaborate and finely detailed Seabrook House (VHR 0068) around the corner in Lonsdale Street, also designed in bluestone by Terry for Cleve Bros in the 1850s.The Former F Blight & Co Warehouses are architecturally and historically significant for their contribution to the small but distinct precinct of warehouses and stores built by Cleves Bros on the corner of King and Lonsdale Streets in the 1850s..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites source 79 Perrott Lyon Timlock and Kesa, Historical and Architectural Survey Area 2: p112Construction date: 1854-1855 (242-244), 1858 (234-240)Materials: (242-244) Brick stuccoArchitects: (234-240) Leonard Terry.City of Melbourne i-heritage:`Three 3-storey bluestone warehouses erected between 1854 - 58 for Cleve Bros., merchants who also built Seabrook House around the corner in Lonsdale Street. This group of conservative classical warehouses around the corner of King and William Streets are an architecturally distinctive reminder of Melbourne's early mercantile history.Recommended Alterations No. 242 - 4, Openings altered (sympathetic - reinstate original design), bricks stuccoed (sympathetic - remove), stone course painted (inappropriate - remove by approved method), windows reglazed and openings closed off (inappropriate - reinstate original design or sympathetic alternative); No. 234 - 44, Awnings added - obscures door head, adopt skillion profile (inappropriate - remove or reinstate sympathetic alternative). Interior totally renovated.Other Comments v1 p.91 (1869) shows upper floors/face brick, cathead and loading doors central to north face.ReferencesOther Listing National Trust Register, Victorian Heritage Register.NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (VIC)Possibly the finest proportioned bluestone warehouse remaining in the C.B.D. The three storey bluestone store was built for Cleve Brothers in 1858. the architect being Leonard Terry.Recorded: 03/09/1969Revised: Classified: State: 16/10/2001.LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:Record 72009 Cleve, Bros Melbourne VIC Warehouses Amess & McLaren - Melbourne 1854 03 10 484, MCC registration no 484 [Burchett Index]. Fee 2.10.0, store-King near cnr King & Lonsdale71838 Cleve Bros Melbourne VIC Warehouses Amess, Samuel - Melbourne 1858 11 3 851, MCC registration no 851 [Burchett Index]. Fee 5.0.0 two stores King - near Lonsdale.VICTORIA HERITAGE REGISTERCharles Cleve acquired the land now occupied by the three storey bluestone building in September 1853 (Memorial quoted in CBD Study Area Report by Perrott Lyon Timlock Kesa & Associates Pty Ltd). Notice of intent to build two stone stores for Cleve and Cameron on the corner of King and Lonsdale Streets was given by builder Samuel Amess on 17 August 1853 (Burchett Index). These buildings were possibly demolished in 1858 to make way for new stores for Cleve Bros, designed by architect Leonard Terry. Terry tendered in the Argus on 18 October 1858 for the two stores, each of three storeys, to be built of bluestone (Lewis Index). The rate book entry for 1859 describes an unfinished stone store. These stores are believed to be the extant bluestone buildings on King Street.On 3 March 1854 architect Charles Laing tendered for the erection in King Street of a bluestone and brick store for Charles Cleve (Lewis Index). On 10 March 1854 Amess gave notice of intent to build this store for Cleve Bros on the corner of King and Lonsdale Streets (Burchett Index). This is believed to be the extant building on the south-east corner of King and Lonsdale Streets.The builder Amess and architect Terry were both involved in the construction of another bluestone building for Cleve Bros in 1858. Located in Lonsdale Street and adjacent to the former F Blight & Co buildings, it is now known as Seabrooke House (Burchett Index). The buildings form a precinct of historic stores all built by Cleve Bros, two of which were designed by Terry, one by Laing and all three quite possibly built by the same builder.All the buildings were owned by Cleve Bros until 1870, when they were sold to Henry Raphael. From 1854 to 1858 Cleve Bros leased the corner building to another merchant, Hamill & Co., but thereafter they continuously occupied all the buildings until 1888. (Cleve Bros do not have an entry in Melbourne and Its Metropolis published in 1888). Import duties on over 160 items was reduced in 1853 to only wines, spirits, tobacco, tea and coffee (G Serle, The Golden Age). Cleve Brothers operated the King Street buildings as a Free Store between 1856 and 1888. The corner building operated as Bonded Store from 1859 to 1888. The 1857 rate book describes it a brick and stone store, the 1859 entry as a stone store with four offices (ibid Perrott Lyon).In February 1885 architects Reed, Henderson and Smart tendered for the reinstating fire damage at Cleve's Store in Lonsdale Street. In April 1886 the same architects tendered for an additional storey to Cleve's Bond (store), Lonsdale Street. Wise's Directory of 1885-6 lists Cleves Bonded Store at 192 & 196 King Street. It was reported in Perrot Lyon's report that the corner building possessed a riveted steel frame, "likely to have been added c1900". It does not state where the frame is located, but the frame was quite likely to have been that added by Reed, Henderson and Smart.This corner building, constructed with a bluestone ground floor and upper floors of brick, has been drastically altered. A photograph reproduced in The Streets of Melbourne From Early Photographs but without a date given shows how this building once looked. It is a formal, posed photograph with employees standing about in front of both buildings. Perhaps it was taken in c1886 to commemorate a grand reopening following the fire?The face brick, clearly evident in the photograph, is now stuccoed over. The central bay over the entrance to King Street did not contain windows, rather full height storey doors below an iron jib for handling goods in and out of the building at each level. The hipped roof, running parallel to Lonsdale Street, terminated behind a triangular parapet. This parapet has been removed but the parapet at the rear survives. The Lonsdale Street façade has suffered similar alterations. A similar arrangement of full height storey doors.HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGS CITATIONSThree three-storey bluestone warehouses erected between 1854-58 for Cleve Bros., merchants, who also built Seabrook House around the corner in Lonsdale Street. This group of conservative classical warehouses around the corner of King and William Streets are an architecturally distinctive reminder of Melbourne's early mercantile history..VICTORIAN HERITAGE INVENTORY H7822-12313 storey bluestone warehouse(s) constructed for Cleve Bros. Merchants in 1854-58. Occupied by F Blight & Co.1866 - building shown on corner.1880 Panorama - shows large warehouse building.1888 - 3 x 3 storey buildings, "Cleve's Bonded Store"1905 - 3 x 3 storey buildings, Cleve's Bond Stores No 3, No 1, No 4.NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)1858https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/154857327TENDERS are required for the erection of a Blue-stone Store in Lonsdale street for Messrs Cleve Bros., & Co.The plans and specifications may be seen until the 28th instant, at the office of Leonard Terry, architect 46 Collins street west.
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 105379 | 1 PDF : 2,124 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |