HOUSE, 38 LILLY STREET

Statement of Significance

House, 38 Lilly Street, is a typical limestone, brick and iron single storey house dating from c 1892. The place has aesthetic value for its contribution to the streetscape and the surrounding area. It is representative of the typical workers' houses in the Fremantle area. The place is an example of the Victorian Georgian style of architecture.

Physical Description

38 Lilly Street is a single storey, limestone, brick and iron house built c.1890 designed as an example of the Victorian Georgian style of architecture. The walls are limestone with red brick quoins. The roof is hipped and clad with corrugated iron. The verandah has a separate corrugated iron roof supported on timber posts. There are three rendered corbelled chimneys evident. There is a low level limestone wall to the front boundary line. Proliferate foliage makes further description difficult.

History

Lilly Street is named after James Lilly, who was manager of the Adelaide Steamship Company from 1886 to 1889. Lilly was born in Tasmania in 1845 and died in Claremont in 1905. The majority of the houses in the street date from the 1890s and early 1900s.

House, 38 Lilly Street was built in the early 1890s. In 1894, the rate books recorded a dwelling house of six rooms on the lot. It was owned and occupied by Thomas John, a civil servant. John continued to own the house until his death in 1905. Ownership then passed to Celia and Bertha John, who still owned the house in the early 1940s. Celia and Bertha also lived in the house until c. 1930, when William Langdon moved in. By 1951, Mr Langdon had purchased the property.

Thomas John had been born in 1832 and in 1854 he married Sarah Woodland (b. 1835) in Fremantle. They had 11 children. Celia (the 7th) was born in 1867. Bertha, the youngest, was baptised in 1877. Sarah died in 1884 (aged 50) and John died in 1905 (aged 73). Both were buried in the Skinner Street Cemetery. Their headstones were relocated to the Fremantle Cemetery, Carrington Street, by the Fremantle Municipal Council in December 1935.

A Metropolitan Sewerage plan dated c. 1910 shows a small and narrow weatherboard house with a veranda along the front face of the building. There was another small veranda at the rear, leading to the back door. In the backyard, there were three weatherboard outbuildings (two attached to each another) and also a separate water closet.

This place was included in the list of heritage places in the City of Fremantle identified by the Fremantle Society (1979/80) - PURPLE - of architectural and historic significance in its own right.

Integrity/Authenticity

High degree of integrity (original intent clear, current use compatible, high long term sustainability).
High degree of authenticity with much original fabric remaining.
(These statements based on street survey only).

Condition

Condition assessed as good (assessed from streetscape survey only).

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This data is provided by the City of Fremantle. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this data, the City of Fremantle makes no representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaims all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which you might incur as a result of the data being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason. Under no circumstances should this data be used to carry out any work without first contacting the City of Fremantle for the appropriate confirmation and approval.