Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Ross House is the remaining section of an extensive six storey brick warehouse which extended from Flinders Street to Flinders Lane and which was erected in 1898-1900. Ross House, which was named Royston House in 1929 following its acquisition and conversion to offices by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria, has been maintained intact externally, although the basement and ground floor to the Manchester Lane elevation were reconstructed with reinforced concrete in the 1930s.
Ross House is architecturally significant as a transitional and highly unusual design incorporating ideas from the American Romanesque style developed by HH Richardson in America. The massiveness of the plinth, the huge Romanesque brick arches and the overhanging cornice is offset by the delicacy of the metal oriel windows and the caryatides. Ross House also demonstrates early design concerns for specific fire prevention measures in multi-storey buildings, such as the sprinkler system and fireproof doors. The recessing of the oriel windows was a fire prevention measure adopted from England.
In March 2014 the VHRF Committee of Management offered a grant of $20,000 to assist with façade works to Ross House, which consisted of repairs to northern and western facades including cleaning and repairing damaged sandstone, lead flashing to projecting cornices and detail work to ornamentation.
This property is one of a pair of two-storey, stuccoed brick terrace houses with two-level cast-iron verandahs. The ironwork and windows have been altered to No. 13 but No. 15 is intact in this regard.
In November 2018, the VHRF Committee of Management agreed to offer a grant of $6,000 to remove the aluminium window and reinstate a timber Victorian window to match the adjacent terrace at 15 Chapman Street.
The works were completed in January 2020 and the reinstated Victorian window matches the adjacent terrace and greatly enhances the appearance of 13 Chapman Street.
This is a double fronted Victorian weatherboard residence. The original front façade Victorian windows had been replaced in the 1960s with shorter windows that detracted from the appearance of the residence. In August 2017, the VHRF Committee of Management agreed to offer a grant of $5,000 towards reinstatement of the original Victorian windows to the front facade. The reinstatement was based on the window design of adjacent houses of the same style and era that still retained their original windows.
The window replacement works were completed in March 2018 and have returned the residence to its original appearance. This greatly enhances the contribution this residence makes to the historic residential precinct.
6 Erin Street, Richmond
The property at 6 Erin Street is one of a pair of Victorian two storey terraces. The terraces were built in 1870 and feature tall decorative render parapets with a central pediment with a balustrade either side. The terraces are substantially intact and also feature a cast iron decorative balustrade to the upper verandah, a cast iron palisade fence to the street and fine render detailing around the windows and doors. The terrace is a contributory building in the West Richmond Heritage Overlay.
The grant application was for repair and reinstatement of the render balustrade to the parapet. The existing steel lintel on one side of the balustrade was corroding and pushing render off the parapet.
In November 2016, the VHRF Committee of Management agreed to offer a grant of $10,000 towards repair and reinstatement of the deteriorated parapet.
The works involved like for like repairs to return the parapet to its original appearance and further collapse and resulting water ingress has been halted.
125 Nelson Place, Williamstown
This is a Victorian two storey corner commercial building in Nelson Place, Williamstown.
The VHRF Committee of Management agreed to offer a grant of $10,000 for final works to reinstate the verandah including roofing and guttering.
The reinstated verandah greatly enhances the building and the Nelson Place streetscape. The façade of the building has also been restored greatly improving the appearance of the building.
688 Drummond St, Carlton North
This is one of four single storey terraces constructed between 1905 and 1908. The single fronted Federation terrace has render banding to the façade and a decorative render parapet. The building also features a pair of tall narrow windows and a verandah across the front with a cast iron frieze.
There were remnants of the original black tuckpointing however this was in a visibly deteriorated state with some sections of tuckpointing missing. The VHRF Committee of Management agreed to offer a grant of $5,000 towards the cost of re-pointing the front façade, side walls and brick fence pillars.
The tuckpointing has greatly improved the appearance of the building in the streetscape.
