Fine Renaissance Revival single storey ashlar render residence. Elaborate eaves detail with timber brackets and render motif. Heavy cast iron frieze and brackets to verandah. The brackets have an unusual snake pattern. The slate roof is steeply pitched with fine render chimneys. The garden is bounded by a heavy cast iron palisade fence on bluestone plinth with intact corrugated iron side fences. The garden path and verandah floor have elaborate tessellated tile designs. The sympathetic garden is edged by slate strips. [from i-Heritage website]
The house was built for William Phillips in 1869. Phillips was an iron moulder at the Victoria Foundry, Victoria Street, Carlton, and it is probably he who designed and cast the unusual iron brackets to the front verandah. He and his family remained there for twenty years, advertising it for sale in 1889 as, "SUBSTANTIAL BRICK COTTAGE Known as CHARLESTON VILLA In Victoria parade, near Simpson street, Having a frontage cf 67ft by a depth of 167ft. It contains dining room, drawingroom, and four bedrooms, and (of wood) two rooms, bathroom, and pantry, with two stall stable and fowl house at rear. This is a desirable and well finished cottage, with neat verandah at front and rear. It is in perfect order, having been newly painted throughout." [Argus, 22 Jan 1889, p.3] It had not always been in perfect order. In 1883 the front drawing room was seriously damaged by a gas explosion. The window and front door were shattered, the ceiling cracked, the bulbs in the chandelier splintered, and the partition wall was put out of the perpendicular. William Phillips, meanwhile, suffered scorching to the face and neck, cuts to the face and hands, and singed hair and whiskers. Until the early 1900s this was the only house in the block between Trinity School on the Hoddle Street corner and the Congregational Church (now St. Nicholas Antiochian Church)on the Simpson Street corner.
1869-1889: William Phillips and family
c.1908-c1911: C.F. Parker, purveyor of remedies for rheumatism, sciatica, gout, etc.
c1928-c1940: Lawrence Patrick Egan; wife, Kathleen (Kitty). Egan's obituary in the Argus reads "Mr. Lawrence Patrick Egan, former head master of St. Mary's School, East Melbourne,[There is, or was, no St. Mary's School in East Melbourne. Possibly the writer means West Melbourne.] died yesterday after a long illness at his home, Lisieux, Victoria par., East Melbourne. He was aged 82 years. A noted educationist and charity worker, Mr. Egan was for 20 years secretary of St. Patrick's Day celebrations In Melbourne, from which more than £10,000 was raised for education. He leaves two daughters and five sons, the eldest of whom is Rev. J. F. Egan, parish priest of Cohuna. Rev. J. J. Egan, of St. Catherine's Orphanage, Geelong, is a brother of the late Mr. Egan. There will be Requiem Mass in St. John's Church. East Melbourne, at 10.30 a.m. to-day, after which the funeral will leave for Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton. [28 December 1940, p.2]
City of Melbourne, i-Heritage website: http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/BuildingandPlanning/Planning/heritagepla...
Burchett Index,City of Melbourne Notices of Intent to Build: Reg. No. 2935, 17 Nov 1868.
City of Melbourne Rate Books: first entry, 1869 Latrobe Ward No. 1153