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Dr Edward Fletcher's shops & residences, 240-246 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Butler, Graeme1985
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Title:
Dr Edward Fletcher's shops & residences, 240-246 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Butler, Graeme (Name details)
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 109393 109394 109395 109396 1
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
Part of:
Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
Access restrictions:
UnrestrictedOpen access.
Use restrictions:
UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
General notes:
RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2024:__________________________________________________DATE: 1859-;ASSOCIATIONS: Fletcher, Dr Edward;BUILDER: James, Benjamin - MelbourneEarly Victorian-era: 1850-1875Sign 1985: Great Eastern Grocers, Mind Games, Antique Gems, Go Go Restaurant Equipment Supplies (United Oceans Trading Co.)___________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1989, LITTLE BOURKE STREET PRECINCT CONSERVATION STUDY.Statement of SignificanceShops and Residences240-246 Swanston StreetHistoryBuilt: 1859As a land title, the south half of this shop-row site was sold by the future builder of Banyule, Arthur Hague to George Barber for £160 in the lean time of 1843. Barber sold to Tryphena Toby (wife of Edwin Toby) in 1849, for £275. Three years later she sold her interests in the site to Edward Fletcher (240-2) for a dramatic £2,000. Fletcher retained the property into the 1890s, undergoing a series of mortgages in the period 1856-71. The northern half eventually went to James Edwards in 1870 after Pat McGrath had purchased it from Sophia Anderson (or her trustees) for £2,700, in 1853. McGrath had resold 10 hotel agent Mark Moss in 1863 for £1.930 indicating substantial improvements given the depressed economy.Rate descriptions commence as (single-storey? ) brick shops with two rooms each, building up to 'workshop, shop and five (or four) rooms,' thus indicating their present volume had been reached by 1860. Dr. Edward Fletcher had applied to build two shops in Swanston Street during March, 1859. His builder was Benjamin James. of Melbourne. Fletcher occupied one and Andrew Dempster the other (240-2). In the same month, Pat McGrath applied to build two shops (two-storey), using the same builder. 5 A photograph dated 1869 shows the row completed, with the name 'Schafer' discernible among others on the parapet while another view from 1863 also shows the row with Schafer in 246, TebbulS in 244 and A. Wordsworth (plumber) in 240-42.6Mahlstedt's of 1888 show the row as it is today. Of the occupants, only Edward Schafer, a 'working jeweller,' stayed there for any length of lime. Schafer, of 242 (in the 1870s), became Schafer & Co., of 240-2, by 1900, expanding his premises and his repertoire. Fletcher's (owner) medical background and proximity to the Melbourne Hospital (Lonsdale Street) may have promulgated a long tenure at the adjacent 238 (Globe Hotel) by H. Seelenmeyer (later with Forbes and finally as Forbes & Co.), an homeopathic chemist. 1DescriptionTwo-storey cemented and parapeted shop and residence row in an Italian Renaissance revival manner which bas refined detailing at the upper le\'el, particularly the aedicules to window openings. A Duff metal-framed and tiled shopfront of this century, at 242, is sympathetic.External integrityThe ground-level has been replaced and street canopies added.StreetscapeComplementary to the contemporary former Globe Hotel at the corner and, by use of a classical revival related to Curtin House adjoining.SignificanceAn early, architecturally pretentious and successful shop row design, which performs a valuable role in support of the adjoining early classical revival streetscape and, by its ownership and tenancy, was linked to the medical theme, inspired by the nearby Melbourne Hospital.Contributes to precinct___________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites 76, 76 Lewis, Nigel 1976 Historic and Architectural Survey of the Central City of Melbourne Bourke Street, east, Area 8 of the survey commissioned by the Historic Buildings Preservation Council, Page 11___________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1989, LITTLE BOURKE STREET PRECINCT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM___________________________LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX77651 Fletcher, Dr Edward Melbourne VIC Shops James, Benjamin - Melbourne 1859 03 31 263-MCC registration no 263 [Burchett Index]. Fee 2.10.0 two shops
Related material link:
240-246 Swanston Street, Melbourne (Butler14553\\)240-246 Swanston Street, Melbourne (Butler14552\\)Dr Edward Fletcher's shops & residences, 240-246 Swanston Street, Melbourne (BIF-CITY 109393 109394 109395 109396\\)
Names:
City of Melbourne
Topics:
Central Activities District Conservation Study 1985Conservation studiesEarly-mid Victorian period (1851-1875)Mid-late Victorian period (1875-1900)Retail trade1850-1859
Places:
Melbourne (Vic.)
Form/Genre:
Building Identification Forms (BIFs)
Record types:
Research and reports
Record number:
1272449
Bookmark link:
https://librarysearch.melbourne.vic.gov.au/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/OPAC/ARCENQ?SETLVL=&RNI=1272449
TypeReference No.ExtentStatus/Desc
Original109393 109394 109395 109396 11 PDF : 1,127 KB ; S4Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced)
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