113-115 Gloucester Street, The Rocks, terraced house in Sydney, New South Wales
113-115 Gloucester Street is a row house built in the 1880s with two floors and a large verandah facing the street, slate roofs, and many original details still intact. The building follows typical Victorian design with a simple structure and is connected through narrow laneways to other houses and back yards.
The building was constructed in the 1880s on land once owned by William Long, a former convict who later became a merchant. In the early 20th century the area was struck by plague and later fell into neglect, until restoration efforts in the 1990s preserved its original appearance.
These row houses reflect the lives of working-class families and tradespeople who made their homes in this densely built neighborhood. A notable former resident was Joseph Law, a Chinese translator who lived in house number 113 from 1885 to 1902 and was part of Sydney's Chinese community.
The houses sit within a maze of narrow laneways and back yards best explored on foot. Plan to spend time wandering to fully discover the hidden details and original layout of the neighborhood.
The walls of this house do not meet at exact right angles, an unusual feature resulting from it being built close to the property boundary. This quirk shows how builders adapted practically to the shape of available land rather than forcing perfect rectangular structures.
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