Davisville, Wentworth Falls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Davisville |
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Heritage boundaries
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| Location | 63-67 Falls Road, Wentworth Falls, City of Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1888–1920 |
| Official name: Davisville; Rennie House | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 401 |
| Type | House |
| Category | Residential buildings (private) |
| Builders | David Davis, Sydney builder |
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Davisville is a special old house in Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, Australia. It has a long history, starting as a holiday home. Over the years, it has been used for many different things. It was once a home for young women and even a place where a group of people lived together. Today, it is a private home and also a bed and breakfast. This means visitors can stay there.
The house is also known as Rennie House. It was built between 1888 and 1920 by a builder named David Davis. Because of its important history, Davisville was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999. This means it is protected and its history is valued.
Contents
A Look Back: Davisville's History
Early Land Ownership
The land where Davisville stands was first given to Edward Dougherty in 1857. This was a "land grant," meaning the government officially gave him the land. Later, in 1858, Archibald Campbell bought the land. He owned it while the area around it was divided into smaller blocks. This process is called "subdivision."
Building Davisville: The Davis Family Home
In 1888, Campbell's daughters sold part of this land to David Davis. David Davis was a builder from Sydney. He built his own holiday home on this land in 1888. He named it Davisville after himself. It seems he used some materials from older buildings for his new house. This makes the house's history a bit of a puzzle sometimes.
The house likely had more parts added after 1913. A photo from around 1920 shows the house looking much like it does today. It had a verandah and tall pine trees nearby. There was even a tennis court on the lawn! David Davis sold the house in 1920.
Rennie House: A Home for Young Women
After David Davis sold it, the house became a holiday home for the Young Women's Christian Association. They called it Rennie House. A woman named Miss M. Stephens lived there and looked after it. She stayed there from 1920 until after 1947.
Changes Over the Years
In 1974, a church group considered building a retirement village on the site. But this plan did not go ahead. Around 1975, Robert Bunda, an antique dealer, bought the property. Some changes were made to the house in 1976. Soon after, it was sold to Mr and Mrs Seymour. They rented it to a group of young people who lived together, sometimes called a "commune," around 1979.
Protecting Davisville: Heritage Listing
In 1984, people in the community became worried about the future of Davisville. They wanted to protect it. So, a temporary "conservation order" was put on the house. This order helps protect old buildings. This led to the land around Davisville being divided into smaller parts. A permanent conservation order was placed on the house in 1985. This means it is officially recognized as an important heritage site.
Over the years, Davisville has had many updates. In 1985, the verandah was changed, and old sheds at the back were removed. The roofs were replaced, and the electrical wiring was updated. A garage was also added around this time. In 1998, the inside of the house was changed to create more bathrooms. This was done to help it become a bed and breakfast.
More recently, in 2006, some of the 1998 changes were undone. The house was changed back to allow it to be a private home again. The verandah was also repaired. In 2010, some of the very old pine trees were approved to be removed. Around 2016, some beautiful iron lace work was put back on the verandah.
What Davisville Looks Like
The Garden and Outdoor Areas
Davisville has a lovely garden with very old pine trees. These trees are about 80 years old and are over 30 meters tall! They were planted to protect the property from wind. The way the garden was laid out in the 1920s can still be seen today. The flat area where the tennis court used to be is still there.
You can also find large shrubs that are likely from the 1920s. These include a big Rhododendron plant near the front verandah and camellias. There are also old stone walls that add to the garden's charm. The garden helps make Falls Road a beautiful, leafy area.
To the west of the house, there is a small gazebo and a sandstone pond. These were added around 1950. The garage, built around 1985, is in the northwest corner of the property. The trees at the front of the property frame the house nicely. There are also trees along the western side that provide a green background for the house. A wide driveway leads from Falls Road to the garage.
The House Itself
The original house, built in 1888, had four rooms at the front. It also had a service area at the back. Today, it is a three-part cottage with a pointed roof, called a "gable." It faces east towards Falls Road. Around 1912-1920, a dining room was added to the south side. This room has special decorative pressed metal on its walls and ceiling.
The roof is made of corrugated steel. It has fancy wooden decorations, called "fretwork," and pointed tops, called "finials," on the gables. There are three brick chimneys. The house has a "bull-nosed verandah" that wraps around it. This verandah has a curved roof and timber posts with pretty iron lace. The outside walls are covered with "rusticated weatherboards," which are wooden planks.
The main front door has six panels and a window above it. On either side of the front door are two pairs of french doors. There are also double-hung windows and another half-glazed door on the south side. The entrance stairs have decorative tiles and slate steps. Davisville looks very similar to another old house nearby, Hastings, which was also built in 1888.
Other Buildings
There used to be a separate kitchen building at the back of the house. This building was taken down in 1987. The current garage is a single-story building made of weatherboards. It was added around 1985.
Condition of Davisville
As of November 2010, the house was in good condition.
Changes and Updates Over Time
- Around 1913: An extension was added to the house.
- Around 1920: The house was changed to be used as a YWCA home.
- Around 1950: A gazebo and a sandstone pool were added to the back garden.
- Around 1975: The house was likely changed when a new owner took over.
- Around 1984-1985: The land at the back of the property was divided.
- 1985: The verandah was changed, and old buildings at the back were removed. The iron roofs were replaced, and all the electrical wiring was updated. A room on the north verandah was turned into a bathroom (but this was later removed). The current garage was added.
- 1998: The inside of the house was changed to add more bathrooms and room divisions. This was done to help it become a bed and breakfast.
- 2006: Some of the 1998 changes were removed. The house was returned to its earlier layout to be used as a private home again. The verandahs were repaired.
- 2010: Permission was given to remove 13 old Monterey pine trees.
- Around 2016: New iron lace work was made and put back on the verandah.
Heritage Listing
Davisville was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999. This means it is an important part of the state's history and is protected.
