House

Statement of Significance

The place at 41 Melville Street has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: The place is a fine and well executed example of a Federation Filigree residence that has maintained a high level of integrity and authenticity. This capacious house with its striking stonework and its formal landscape setting located on the high prominence of Melville Street has landmark value. The place is associated with Harry S J Knight, from the Knight family who were early settlers to Albany and who was born in Albany, his father being William Grills Knight the second Mayor of Albany. Knight also served on Council and established the business Knight & Son with his father.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include: • Elevated corner position • Very high streetscape value • Walls random coarse faced stone blocks with rendered brick quoining around doors and windows • Wrap around verandah under separate roof with timber filigree balustrading, frieze and bracketing • Asymmetrical design with projecting gable wing on north side and double hipped roof • Brick chimneys with moulded tops and prominent rendered chimney and breast on north side • Generous sized timber double hung sash windows highlighted by rendered brick quoins • Lattice cladding around the apron Some obvious modifications include: • Short sheet corrugated steel replacing former Mustard coloured Colorbond on roof • Rear addition on north side (built with readable separation and in sympathy to design of house) • Low rendered stone and iron picket infill front wall modified from original face-stone and iron rail wall

History

This house is said to have been built for a lawyer whose intended bride changed her mind and the house was sold. A former Albany draper and owner of house at 41 Melville St, George Beale, gave this anecdotal piece of history. The 1890 Rate Book shows Lot 490 as land only owned by C H A Stone, clerk. By 1891, Stone is listed as the tenant. No other information was located about Stone. In 1905, an advertisement in the Albany Advertiser shows a property for sale Lot 490 Melville Street, owned by H S J Knight Esq. It was described as a substantial 6 roomed stone house with verandah [Albany Advertiser 14 January 1905]. It is not known if Knight lived in the house or purchased it as an investment. Harry S. J. Knight was born in Albany and was a son of William Grills Knight, the second Mayor of Albany who built The Rocks in Grey Street. In 1896, Harry and his father started a shipping and station agents business in Albany called Knight & Son. Knight was also a Councillor, one of the Directors of the Albany Cooperative Society and also a synodsman of St John’s Church. He was married and had one daughter Carol. In 1906 – only a year after he sold 41 Melville Street - Knight died while still on council and was at the time in Perth. His body was brought back to Albany and interred in the Church of England cemetery.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High/Moderate

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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