White Horse Hotel, Toowoomba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White Horse Hotel |
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Building exterior, 2014
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| Location | 456 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900 - 1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | c. 1900 - c. 1912 |
| Official name: White Horse Hotel | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 17 December 1993 |
| Reference no. | 600863 |
| Significant period | 1900s, 1910s (fabric) 1866-1986 (historical operation of a White Horse Hotel) |
| Significant components | fireplace |
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The White Horse Hotel is a special old building in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. It used to be a hotel, a place where people could stay. This building is important because it's on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's protected for its history.
A hotel called the White Horse Hotel has been on this spot since 1866. The building you see today was built in different stages. Many parts of it were updated around 1912. These updates included a new front (facade) and changes to its two main sections (wings). The large balcony facing Ruthven Street was taken away by 1978. Around that time, an extra room was also added.
The hotel closed its doors in 1986. After that, it was changed into shops and offices in 1988. Today, it still has stores and offices inside.
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The White Horse Hotel: A Look Back
The White Horse Hotel is a two-story brick building on Ruthven Street, Toowoomba's main street. It was built over many years. Big changes happened around 1912. These changes included a new front and new designs inside. These updates are thought to have been done by famous Toowoomba architects, James Marks and Sons.
Early Days of the Hotel
A hotel named the White Horse Hotel was first known to be here in 1866. Daniel Donovan was the first person to run it. It was a two-story brick building with balconies facing Ruthven Street. In 1873, a store owner named James Tant bought the property. After he passed away, his family owned the hotel. Many different people managed it over the years.
In 1878, Louis Phillips ran the White Horse Hotel. It was known as a popular and well-located place. It had special rooms for business people with everything they needed. Other managers included John Long, who later built the Imperial Hotel, Daniel Schultz, and Edward Brosnan. In 1897, some work was done on the hotel by architect William Hodgen. In 1906, James Marks and Son also asked for bids to make improvements.
Big Changes in 1912
The major changes around 1912 are believed to be the work of Reginald Marks. He worked with his father, James, and brother, Harry, from 1910 to 1917. Reginald Marks also designed other important buildings in Toowoomba.
The hotel designed by Marks had a deep, covered balcony along the front facing Ruthven Street. Like the front of the building, it had many fancy details. It also used special air vents designed by Harry Marks. Other big changes were made to the older parts of the building at the same time as the new front. Different ceiling designs, windows, chimneys, and other details show that both main sections of the hotel were updated then.
In 1914, William Hart leased the hotel. He advertised it as the most central and comfortable hotel in Toowoomba. He said it had hot and cold baths and excellent food. In 1925, John Donaghue bought the hotel. From 1924 to 1930, Albert George Callaghan leased it. After Donaghue died in 1930, his family continued to run the hotel.
From Hotel to Shops
By 1978, the large balcony facing Ruthven Street was gone. A smaller awning was put in its place. Around this time, an extra room was made on the ground floor. This was done by closing in the space between the Ruthven Street section and the kitchen section at the back.
In 1986, the White Horse Hotel closed as a hotel. New owners bought it and did a lot of work to turn it into offices and shops. This included building new shops on the ground floor. The current owners bought the property in 1988. Today, two shops on the ground floor facing Ruthven Street are clothing stores. The old kitchen area at the back is now a hairdressing salon.
What the White Horse Hotel Looks Like
The White Horse Hotel is a two-story brick building. It has a fancy front (facade) decorated with white cement. The building is shaped like a "T." One part faces Ruthven Street, and the other part extends backward. The roof is made of corrugated iron, with different sloped and peaked sections. It has unique, pot-bellied shaped chimneys and air vents.
Inside the Building
The ground floor was changed a lot around 1988. It now has two shops on either side of a main entrance. There's also a shop at the back. A central hallway leads to an entrance area with a beautiful wooden staircase made of silky oak. Both the hallway and entrance have decorative metal ceilings. The bottom of the stairs also has a metal panel.
One of the shops at the back has a carved wooden fireplace. In its corner, there's a room with a large fireplace and a metal ceiling.
The stairs lead up to a spacious lobby on the second floor. This lobby connects the rooms in both parts of the building. It also has decorative metal ceilings. Arched wooden double doors lead to a hallway with a pretty plaster ceiling. This hallway gives access to small rooms, each with similar ceilings and metal decorations.
The northern part of the building has much larger rooms. These rooms are accessed by a hallway that also has delicate plaster decorations. The doorways to these hallways are framed with decorated stone and cement scrolls. The rooms in the northern part still have their fine plaster decorations and metal ceiling roses. They get lots of light from rectangular windows with smaller square windows above them. The rooms in the southern part do not have these old features. The north and south rooms are connected by a small entry hall. This hall has wooden French doors that open onto a small balcony and square wooden windows above.
The Fancy Front (Facade)
The white cement decorations on the front of the building create a rich pattern over the bricks. Tall, thin columns (pilasters) rise above the street awnings. They end in small arches over square windows. These windows are grouped in threes, with larger arches above them. The central pair of windows has a curved top (pediment) with a decoration on top. The words "White Horse 1912" are written on it.
The white cement pattern has many curls, scrolls, and flower designs. The top of the wall (parapet) is also decorated with different ornaments. The front of the building looks very artistic and adds to the beauty of Ruthven Street.
Why the White Horse Hotel is Important
The White Horse Hotel was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on December 17, 1993. It meets several important rules to be listed.
A Piece of History
There has been a White Horse Hotel on this spot since 1866. This building shows how Toowoomba grew as an important farming center over the years.
A Great Example of an Old Hotel
It is a good example of what an early 20th-century hotel looked like. You can see this in its fancy front and inside features. These include the main staircase, the metal ceilings, the doorways, and the fanlights (windows above doors).
Beautiful Design
The building has many beautiful features that people value. The rich decorations on the front make Ruthven Street look very pretty. It also has fine details inside, like the metal and plaster ceilings and the silky oak staircase.
Connected to Important People
The White Horse Hotel is specially connected to the work of Toowoomba architects James Marks and Sons. It is a great example of their work on commercial buildings.
