Smithfield House, Heritage villa in Harristown, Toowoomba, Australia
Smithfield House is a heritage villa in Harristown featuring bluestone foundations and sandstone corner reinforcements supporting broad timber-framed verandahs. The interior displays high ceilings, elaborate cornices, and carefully crafted joinery arranged around a central hallway with evenly positioned rooms.
Built in 1895 for landowner James Taylor, the house reflected the growing prosperity of the Darling Downs during the late 1800s. In its following decades, the property passed through various hands and was adapted for different uses by subsequent occupants.
The house served as a private school and housed the Glennie Memorial School until 1962, making it central to local education history. Visitors can still see the rooms that once functioned as classrooms where students gathered for their lessons.
The house is accessible from the public street and its rooms can be viewed during visiting hours from both outside and partially inside. Visitors should note that as a protected heritage site, certain areas may have limited access.
A German industrialist named Oscar Flemmich purchased the property and constructed extensive stables there, revealing the house's international connections in the early 1900s. These equestrian facilities were a major aspect of the estate and demonstrate the economic activity of that period.
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