House

Parent Place or Precinct

25688 Langsford Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

Langsford Street Heritage Area demonstrates an identifiable aesthetic of substantial examples of the Federation architectural style demonstrating a consistency of form and fabric and variety of details through to the Inter-War period. The residences in Langsford Street Heritage Area form a substantial Federation style streetscape environment.

Physical Description

The single storey tuckpointed brick and rendered banded building has a symmetrical frontage and the hipped roof is Zincalume clad. The full front verandah is an extension of the main roof with two half-timbered gablets over the stepped bays that flank the central front door. The bays have pairs of double hung sash windows, and the front door has a stained glass detail as for the sidelights and fanlights. The timber verandah is accessed by a sweeping set of steps flanked by square timber posts with unusual decorative brackets. The verandah is enclosed with timber boarding on one corner. The face brick chimney has moulded corbel detail.

History

Langsford Street was originally named Notre Dame Street and was adjacent to the Roman Catholic Reserve. In 1907, it was renamed Langsford Street in honour of John Langsford, stockbroker, lay minister of the Methodist Church, member of the local Road Board and the second Mayor of Claremont and later a member of the Legislative Council. Many of the pre-1914 houses in Langsford Street were built for newlyweds, or those with young families, who chose the street in order to be close to their families of origin in the immediately surrounding area. One of the early residents was Arthur Langsford, son of the street's namesake. Rowe Park was named after the former resident of Langsford Street, builder and Claremont identity Sam Rowe. Rowe Park was created on the 15 November 1901 as a public reserve from undeveloped crown land. Claremont Tennis Club created in 1898 moved to new clubrooms and tennis courts were created on the reserve in 1902. The reserve was known as Claremont Lawn Tennis Ground to 1920. Claremont Tennis Club is likely to have moved their clubrooms during 1920 although tennis courts were still present on the reserve in 1934. The park in its present shape and size was created in 1977 as Rowe Park. The majority of residences in the Langsford Street Heritage Area were constructed during the ‘Consolidation’ period. The ‘Consolidation’ period was a period of rapid growth within the Town. Population and housing grew steadily with 701 households and businesses in 1905, 872 in 1910 and 1,240 in 1915. The largest area containing houses of this period is the area bounded by Mary, Gugeri, Melville and Loch Streets and Stirling Highway. Surviving heritage homes from this period indicate that housing types were mainly Federation Bungalow and Federation Queen Anne with three to five rooms.

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