Historical information

The Wesleyan Church, Denham Street in Lower Hawthorn, as the area was then called, was opened on 2 May 1886. The building was designed by Geelong architect William Henry Cleverdon and was built of brick in the Gothic style. Its dimensions were 55 x 33 ft and the façade incorporated a rose window and spire 50 ft high. A wooden vestry was placed to the rear. The building and the organ were seriously damaged by fire on 1 April 1970, started by a painter's blowtorch. The church was not rebuilt.
The organ was built in 1900 by E. Cornwall Cook, of Barrington Place, Burwood Road, Hawthorn. It was opened on 8 August 1901 by George Peake. The Swell strings may have been added (or substituted for earlier material) by Frederick Taylor, whose workshop was nearby in Burwood Road. At some stage the colourfully decorated façade pipes were repainted in a gold finish. The organ was badly damaged in the 1970 fire and the metal pipes were sent to Hill, Norman & Beard who melted them down for scrap.

Physical description

B & W photograph of the interior of the Denham St. Methodist Church, Hawthorn. Mounted on card.