Listed Building record MDR10817 - No. 49 Church Street, Melbourne

No. 49 Church Street, Melbourne, an early 18th century building. 'This is an impressive three-storey house, with a two-storey gabled wing in front of the western end. On the east end the house is joined to No. 51; to the west is a wide entry with a drive and small garden, no doubt on the site of former outbuildings. The front part of the house is the oldest and is of at least three dates. First was a low cottage or row of cottages of one storey with a loft, two or three rooms long and largely if not wholly walled in stone. This was part of the same building as No. 51 and like it was erected some time in the 17th century. Perhaps about 1730 the building was raised to have an upper storey and at the same time the front wall was rebuilt in brick. The next alteration was the addition of the rear part of the house, which is probably a reconstruction and enlargement of an earlier, narrower stone-walled rear wing or outhouse at the eastern side, which had a cellar under it. The main doorway of this part suggests that it was built as a separate dwelling between about 1750-1770. The top floor of the main range was added in the early 19th century and the front wall stuccoed to conceal the alteration. The original purpose of the large upper room is now lost; possibly it was designed as a meeting room for an illegal or secret organisation such as a Friendly Society. The 1840 Survey of Melbourne records the property as a public house, the White Lion, with brewhouse, stables etc., and by 1866 the large upper room was regularly used as a ballroom. The property was purchased by the Melbourne Estate in 1867, and was been a private house by 1876.' (1) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 38/3925 PARISH OF MELBOURNE CHURCH STREET 6/100 (North Side) No 49 GV II House. Early C18 and early C19 with later additions and alterations. Rendered brick and plain tile roof with brick gable stacks, that to west external plus a stepped eaves band. Three storeys and three bays, with a low ground floor. Main front has a gabled two storey addition to west and a central panelled door below bracketed porch roof, flanked by 3-light timber mullioned window to west and flat roofed canted bay window with glazing bar sashes to east. Above there are two similar 3-light windows to either side of similar central 2-light window. Above again there are two early C19 segment headed small pane 3-light casement windows. Gabled addition has 3-light segment headed casement window facing east, to ground floor. Included for group value only. Listing NGR: SK3882325073.' (2)