Langford house, 519 Dryburgh Street, North Melbourne
Butler, Graeme10/1/1985
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Total copies: 1
Title:
Langford house, 519 Dryburgh Street, North Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
10/1/1985
Reference number:
BIF-NORTH 102878
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
Use restrictions:
UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
General notes:
GRAEME BUTLER 1983, CONSERVATION STUDY FOR THE CITY OF MELBOURNE OF NORTH AND WEST MELBOURNE, extract:Grading as at 1985 (A-E): BPeriod : Mid Victorian (1879)Crown Grantee : W Davis 1867History- Leading businessman and auctioneer, Robert Langford owned and occupied this house from 1879, when it was built until c1887 when he sold it to Percy Jenkins, a fishmonger.In 1857, Robert Langford arrived from Gravesend England at the age of 8. He began his business life at a very early age, and 'by his energy overcame immense difficulties' , to become a prominent businessman of his time. The firm of R. and J.W. Langford, fish, poultry and rabbit salesmen, operated from the Spencer Street Fish Market. Besides this, he became a successful property speculator in the 'boom' of the 1880's. Langford was major of North Melbourne in 1885 and later, when he moved to the country, he was president of Romsey (1896) and Healesville Shires (1892) [Cyclopedia of Victoria Vol 1 p 485]Description- It is a large two storey polychrome brick detached house with two level cast iron double return verandah and hipped and slated roofs. The verandah is splayed at the corner, with twin duplex posts, the friezes are panelled with finished brackets and fringing and traces of an old colour scheme are still visible. The eaves are bracketted with moulding to the entablature between each and the chimney cornice is dentillated and the shaft panelled. The overall form is from the Italian Renaissance whilst the multi-coloured brickwork is inspired by the Italian Romanesque (Interior not inspected).Integrity - Parts of the brickwork have been painted, the fence has been replaced, a fountain, integral with the fence on the north face, has gone, the roof and verandah gutters have been replaced with attached fascias, in an unsympathetic manner, part of the upper verandah enclosed and the formal garden on the east, replaced with atypical tree specimens.Streetscape- It is a prominent end to the important Dryburgh Street north streetscape and the termination of views, across the wide and open intersection with Curzon Street, from Flemington Road.Significance-Architecturally, it is a prominent and highly decorated house of intermediate integrity, which is of a relatively early date for a type which gained popularity in the late 1880's. However its major importance is that of streetscape and vista, of high regional importance.Historically, the home of locally important persons, Langford being of metropolitan importance, of regional importance.(For a further history of the house see Murphy, Guy "At Home on Hotham Hill : a portrait of a nineteenth century entrepreneur" Hotham History Project 2004.)
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Images, maps and artefacts
Record number:
1351605
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 102878 | 1 PDF : 941 KB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |