After several years of planning, the former School Master’s residence at Lithgow Public School has been restored after an $800,000 makeover.
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The sandstone property sits in the school grounds and has high profile, fronting Mort Street and visible on the main route connecting Sydney via Bells Line of Road to the Central Tablelands.
The 1875 Lithgow Public School is listed on the heritage register as having local significance on the Lithgow City Council Environment Plan.
This is a project which local MP Paul Toole said he was proud to see come to fruition after years of organising.
Mr Toole said the sandstone residence was originally built with a single-gable roof and front verandah while a second gable was later added to increase the size of the building to accommodate a new headmaster along with 12 children.
“It’s been a long haul getting to this stage because of the complexity of the work, first dating back to 2013 when the chimneys were dismantled and rebuilt,” he said.
“In fact, the project was discovered by chance when a stonemason drove past the historic building and noticed it was in such a rundown condition.
“Thankfully there was funding available from the NSW Department of Education and the Minister for Finance, Services and Property’s Stonework Program.”
Mr Toole stated the key goals of the Minister’s Stonework Program was upholding the maintenance of the State’s heritage stone buildings and monuments.
Outgoing principal at Lithgow Public School Vicki O’Rourke said the makeover of the former School Master’s residence was documented by heritage architects and heritage engineers and carried out by specialist heritage stonemasons and tradespeople.
Mrs O’Rourke, who this year takes up the role of principal at Eglinton Public School, said all the original fireplaces have been restored. They were all found still intact after being covered up for decades.
“It’s taken many years to get to this stage, but the finished job sure has that ‘wow’ factor,” Mrs O’Rourke said.
This building sits in an historic precinct of Lithgow, right next door to Hoskins Church. It really is one of the city’s most beautiful buildings and now it has been preserved for generations to come.
- Mrs O'Rourke
The building, which is currently used for office space, can now be used for the school’s learning and support teams who will be able to make use of the new kitchen.
A government spokesperson noted that historic photos were used to reconstruct the distinctive missing pointed finials at the top of the gables and that stone replacement work was needed on the chimneys and lower wall areas as the original sandstone had developed extensive fine cracking.
