Pynsent's second store, rear of 361-365 Little Lonsdale Street (rear), Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Total copies: 1
Title:
Pynsent's second store, rear of 361-365 Little Lonsdale Street (rear), Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 106013 106014
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
Part of:
Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
Use restrictions:
UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2022:__________________________________________________Period: Early VictorianDATE: 1854;ASSOCIATIONS: Joseph Burton Pynsent;DESIGNER: Unknown;BUILDER: Holmes Bros North MelbourneNotable features: English size bricks..VICTORIA HERITAGE DATABASE H0826http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/result_detail/785What is significant?The Heape Court warehouse at the rear of 361-365 Little Lonsdale Street was built in 1854. This simple two storey brick and bluestone structure with gable roof was built for Joseph Burton Pynsent, a merchant and general outfitter. The building firm was Holmes Bros. of North Melbourne. The gable ends are parapeted and the south gable has a simple coping detail. It was later used as a blacksmith's shop for John Cooper and Sons, wholesale ironmongers and importers, who owned a complex of buildings in the vicinity including shops, stores and large yards. Heape Court has been an important commercial precinct since the early 1850s, housing a variety of businesses. Heape Court, as one of the remaining intact 19th century laneways in the central city, evokes memories of Melbourne's commercial life during the last century.How is it significant?The Heape Court warehouse at the rear of 361-365 Little Lonsdale Street is of historical and architectural significance.Why is it significant?The Heape Court warehouse at the rear of 361-365 Little Lonsdale Street is historically significant as part of Heape Court, which has been an important commercial precinct since the early 1850s.The Heape Court warehouse at the rear of 361-365 Little Lonsdale Street is architecturally significant as a rare surviving and relatively intact example of a gold rush period brick warehouse that exhibits the traditional building techniques of the early 1850s. The scale of the building is representative of the type of mid-nineteenth century development that used to characterise the whole Elizabeth Street area..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM, See Heape Crt cites YUNCKEN FREEMAN ARCHITECTS P/L 1976.. HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCIL MELBOURNE CBD STUDY AREA 5: 30__________________________________________________YUNCKEN FREEMAN ARCHITECTS P/L 1976.. HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCIL MELBOURNE CBD STUDY AREA 5 (source 82)2 storey warehouse (owned by Donjen Group)Address Heape CourtDate pre 1856Store (Original)Workshop? (Present)brick and stoneintact, doorway connecting adjacent warehouse.first occupied by Loader & Co. and owned by Splatt. Occupied by Garrett & Co after 1872.Precinct - Heape Court( Registration recommended).HISTORICALIt has not been possible to establish with certainty the construction date of this small store/stable. Heap Court only appears in the rate books after 1858 and at that time was owned by Loader & Co., changing hands in 1866 to be owned by a Mr. Splatt. The rate books make any firm opinion impossible but the Bibbs map of 1856 clearly shows this building. In 1870 a new rate book entry describes what may be the 3-storey warehouse adjacent to the building under examination - photographic evidence does not bear this out however.The Commercial and Family Club Hotel was associated with the early days of Cobb and Co. When this building was demolished for the erection of Mitchell House at the intersection of Lonsdale and Elizabeth Streets a number of early buildings connected with the stage coach company were also demolished. From interviews conducted with people who remember this complex of buildings, it is known that John Cooper and Sons, hardware merchants, were adjacent to Mitchell House in Elizabeth Street and employed a blacksmith who it is known (refer appendix for details of interviews) was in this small store/ stable in the 1920's. It is therefore highly likely that this unpretentious stone building was built in the early 1850's and used as a blacksmith's shop by the stage coach company, Cobb and Co.ARCHITECTURALPhotographs of the building show the unadorned character of the facade. The construction is of stone and brick; where the render has broken away on the east wall this may be seen more clearly. The high window above the doorway tends to suggest that the building may have had a mezzanine floor or lift - at present a mezzanine floor is in the building but is clearly not original. The roof construction is heavy - 150 x 75mm rafters set to the roof pitch and a steel tie rod acting as a bottom chord. A 2400 wide connection has been made through to the three-storey warehouse adjacent. The roof is of corrugated iron and has two skylights in the roof plan\!- these skylights may be seen in the enclosed 1870 photograph. The adjacent warehouse had evidently not been built at that stage. As may be seen from the photographs the building is sound but has received some damage over the years from traffic, while the downpipes' disrepair is not assisting the building's well-being.ANALYSISIt is difficult to compare this building with another that is similar. The style, building technique, fittings and materials are all very simple and undoubtedly relate to the building's long utilitarian functions. Accepting the building's function for what it was, it is not difficult to see in the exterior a pleasing proportion - the simple coping to the end wall trimming off a pleasantly proportioned facade.The building has a most vital part to play in the Heap Court precinct being at the very end of the court - for further details refer to Volume 3 of this report.RECOMMENDATIONOn both grounds, architectural and historical, this building should be registered - but particularly the letter, as a connection as intimate as this building would appear to have with the work of Cobb and co., is of great significance to the history of this State.The small scale of the building, taken together with the historical importance, leads this report to recommend that the whole building be registered.__________________________________________________VICTORIAN HERITAGE INVENTORY H7822-1160Pre-1856 warehouse on site. This building likely to have been used as a blacksmith's shop by stage company, Cobb & Co. In use as a small store/stable and blacksmiths shop in the 1920s.1880 Panorama - single storey building.1905 - 3 storey & 1 storey building, owner T Mitchell & Co.__________________________________________________NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (VIC)Heape Court Warehouses, dating from the early 1850s,is an important surviving examples of a nineteenth century commercial laneway precinct. It contains two rare examples of gold-rush period warehouses, the 1854 brick Pynsent's Second Store and Cooper's Blacksmith Shop at the rear of 361-5 Little Lonsdale Street, and the 1853 bluestone Pynsent's First Store at 303-305 Elizabeth Street constructed by the notable firm of James Lawrence & son.The laneway also contains the three-storey brick Cooper's Warehouse at the rear of 359 Little Lonsdale Street, designed in 1887 by the significant Melbourne architects Twentyman and Askew for the ironmongers and importers J Cooper & Son. All three buildings and the laneway remain substantially original and have been in continuous use for commercial purposes for over 130 years. The precinct retains an intimate scale coupled with a consistent 19th century architectural character.Classified: 11/08/1990__________________________________________________LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX: Record74092 Cooper, David - Melbourne Melbourne VIC Warehouses Cooper, David 1853 08 15 1385 MCC registration no 1385 [Burchett Index]. Fee 1.0.0iron store Little Lonsdale near west - 1074141 Pynsent,- Melbourne VIC Warehouses Holmes Bros North Melbourne 1854 08 23 1516 MCC registration no 1516 [Burchett Index]. Fee 1.10.0brick & stone store Little Lonsdale near r.o.w. off Little Lonsdale west - rear of Mr Pynsent's Elizabeth St store__________________________________________________Victorian Heritage DatabaseVictorian Heritage Register (VHR) NumberH0826Heritage Overlay NumberHO709Level of SignificanceRegisteredExtent of RegistrationAMENDMENT OF REGISTER OF HISTORIC BUILDINGSHistoric Building No. 826.Heape Court Warehouse, rear of 361-365 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.To the extent:1. The whole of the building known as Heape Court, 361-365 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne; and2. All of the land described in Certificate of Title Volume 4201 Folio 840081 in Plan 602735K, endorsed by the Chairperson, Historic Buildings Council and held by the Director, Historic Buildings Council.[Victoria Government Gazette No. G34 4 September 1991 p.2481]__________________________________________________Heritage Inventory SiteH7822-1160 cites Fels, M., Lavelle, S. & Mider, D. 1993 Melbourne Central Activities District: Archaeological Management Plan (8 volumes)`Pre-1856 warehouse on site. This building likely to have been used as a blacksmith's shop by stage company, Cobb & Co. In use as a small store/stable and blacksmiths shop in the 1920s.1880 Panorama - single storey building.1905 - 3 storey & 1 storey building, owner T Mitchell & Co.__________________________________________________MAHLSTEDT FIRE INSURANCE PLAN SERIESSeries 2, map 4A1923-shows as one storey masonry rear of 361 Little Lonsdale Street (P Young ironworker 3 storey wing at street, one storey adjoining) - door to south, 2 windows and door to west, 2 skylights
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1257881
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 106013 106014 | 1 PDF : 562 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |