Loxton House is a

heritage-listed This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and human-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In ma ...

former residence and now restaurant located at 142–144 Bridge Street,

Muswellbrook Muswellbrook ( ) is a town in the Upper Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle. Geologically, Muswellbrook is situated in the northern parts of the Sydney bas ...

in the

Muswellbrook Shire Muswellbrook Shire is a local government area in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is situated adjacent to the New England Highway and the Hunter railway line. Muswellbrook Shire was established on 1 July 1979 f ...

local government area of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, Australia. It was built in 1838 and was added to the

New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...

on 2 April 1999.

History

In January 1980 Muswellbrook Council requested comments from the Heritage Council regarding proposed renovations of Loxton House. In March 1980 the Heritage Council recommended that an Interim Conservation Order be placed over the building as it was concerned that full compliance with Ordinance 70 of the Local

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

Act would require an unacceptable sacrifice of the architectural integrity of the building. Non-compliance with the relevant provisions would not unduly affect its fire safety. Following concurrence with the Minister for Local Government with the proposal an Interim Heritage Order was placed over the building. In recognition of its heritage significance a Permanent Conservation Order was placed over Loxton House on 8 January 1982. It was transferred to the State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Description

The front facade is stone with projecting

quoins Quoins ( or ) are masonry blocks at the corner of a wall. Some are structural, providing strength for a wall made with inferior stone or rubble, while others merely add aesthetic detail to a corner. According to one 19th-century encyclopedia, ...

and an upper

veranda A veranda (also spelled verandah in Australian and New Zealand English) is a roofed, open-air hallway or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front an ...

h supported on fluted timber

columns A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

. The side walls are stuccoed brick and the rear wall is painted brick. The rear elevation also has a two-story verandah. The roof is iron over shingles. Joinery is cedar and floors are pit-sawn timber boards. Internally the building retains much of its original cedar joinery including a staircase with carved

handrail A handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by the hand so as to provide safety or support. In Great Britain, Britain, handrails are referred to as banisters. Handrails are commonly used while ascending or descending stairways and escala ...

.Branch Managers Report to the Heritage Council 19 March 1980

Modifications and dates

Major modifications include: *1980restoration/conversion for use as a restaurant in the basement. Shops on the ground floor and offices on the first floor. *1987approval granted for repaving of basement

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...

. *1992approval granted for repair of timber posts and repainting exterior.

Heritage listing

As at 3 October 2000, Loxton House, built is a key building in the main street of Muswellbrook. It is a two-storey Colonial-Georgian building which is believed to be Muswellbrook's oldest remaining building. Loxton House was listed on the

on 2 April 1999.

References

Bibliography

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Attribution

{{NSW-SHR-CC, name=Loxton House, dno=5045633, id=00185, year=2018, accessdate=1 June 2018 New South Wales State Heritage Register Muswellbrook Restaurants in New South Wales Houses in New South Wales Articles incorporating text from the New South Wales State Heritage Register