Listed Building record MDR10677 - 54/56 Main Street, King's Newton, Melbourne

This house was probably built as a three-bay single-storey cruck house in the late 16th century, partly rebuilt in the 17th century, and with additions in the 19th century. It was probably built as the farmhouse to a dairy farm, converted first to an inn and later to a bake house. (1) Nos. 54 and 56 Main Street are a pair of cottages, now converted in to a house. They were built in the 15th, 16th and 18th centuries with an early 19th century addition and early 20th century alterations. It is a cruck frame building with a square panel timber frame on a stone plinth with brick nogging and painted brick. The roof is early 20th century red clay tiles, with a brick side wall chimney stack to the west and a large brick ridge chimney stack, there is also a brick side wall stack to the centre of the street elevation. It is single storey plus attics, with four bays, that to the west is the early 19th century addition. The south elevation has a long range at right angles to the east with one bay of square panel timber framing to the north end. Adjacent to the west is a plank door with a small pane overlight in a single bay of timber framing. The bays to the west are constructed in red brick and have a 20th century door flanked to the west by a 2-light casement window and to the east by a similar 3-light window. Above there are two gabled dormers with 2-light casement windows. The street elevation has a brick bay to the west with a segment headed glazing bar sash window and timber framed bays to the east, that to the far east is lower with smaller panels than the other bays. There is a central brick lean-to with a 2-light small pane casement window to the west face and a 20th century inserted window and panelled door to the west. To the east side of the lean-to there is a plank door with a 2-light small pane casement window above in a gabled half dormer. Beyond to the east there is a 2-light horizontal sliding glazing bar sash window. The east gable wall has an exposed cruck truss with a yoked ridge, the remains of two collars and the eaves sprockets to either side. This is the only surviving cruck truss. (2)