Springhurst (& Putnam House)

Reason for registration

it is an exemplary example of the Picturesque style of architecture with its fine exterior and interior decorative woodwork being an outstanding feature and because it symbolizes through the career of its first owner, Alfred Putnam, the shipbuilding era in the second half of the 19th century in Maitland.

Character-defining elements

Character-defining elements relating to the Picturesque style of the main house at Springhurst include:

- building form and massing;
- two-and-a-half storey wood construction;
- steeply pitched gable roof with three high gables on the front elevation;
- two symmetrically placed central chimneys;
- one-storey wooden addition in the rear of the main building;
- wooden barn addition in the rear of the one-storey wooden addition.

Character-defining elements relating to the Greek Revival style of the Putnam-Frieze House include:

- two-and-a-half-storey wood construction;
- wood shingle cladding;
- slightly pitched gable roof;
- central chimney;
- placement of the front entrance in the gable elevation, detailed with fluted pilasters and entablature with dentils;
- 6/6 windows arranged in atypical locations within the elevation;
- wooden carriage house.

Character-defining elements of the Springhurst and Putnam-Frieze property include:

- all elements relating to its use as a working farmstead;
- kitchen garden;
- orchard surrounding the houses.