Commonwealth Club And Attached Railings

The Commonwealth Club, now offices, was built around 1825 and subsequently altered. It is constructed of pinkish-brown brick with painted stucco facades, topped with a cement-tile roof and cast-iron railings.

The building has a layout shaped like an 'L' with a central entrance to the main section. It is three storeys high, with a basement and three windows on the first floor. The stucco detailing on the facades includes pilasters with horizontal rustication and laurel-wreath friezes to the ground floor. The first floor features Corinthian pilasters with continuous architrave, frieze and cornice, while the second floor has Tuscan pilasters, with capitals integrated into a continuous cornice. A blocking course runs along the top. A two-storey porch has similar rustication to the pillars and pilasters, decorated with laurel wreaths, fluted Corinthian columns, plain engaged pilasters, architrave, frieze and a pediment.

The ground floor has six (mostly roll-edged) steps leading to a central three-panel door within a tooled architrave. Six-over-six sash windows are fitted with sills and blind boxes. The first floor features a central six-pane French window with a divided overlight, margin lights and blind box, along with two six-over-six sashes. Recessed panels are above each first-floor window. Two six-over-six sashes interrupt the frieze and cornice on the second floor. The basement has a board door and two six-over-six sashes, all fitted within plain reveals. Tall end, rear, and roof stacks have cornices. The roof is half-hipped.

The right return is also three storeys high with three first-floor openings. It includes a plinth and banded pilasters with friezes and cornices to the ground floor ends and central bay. Corinthian pilasters flank the ends and pairs of pilasters are present in the central bay of the first floor, both topped with friezes and cornices. The third floor features pilasters, a frieze, and a cornice. A cambered-arched door, in a wider cambered recess, is set within the ground floor central entrance, accompanied by two six-over-six sashes in plain reveals with sills. Bootscrapers are positioned either side of the entrance steps.

The interior retains original plasterwork, including moulded cornices, though interrupted by later partitions. An original curved staircase features plaster niches.

The area railings, alongside the steps, are distinguished by acanthus and anthemion finials to the standards, and a matching gate.

Church Street was laid out around 1815 and built upon by around 1825. The Commonwealth Club forms an architectural group with No.2 Church Terrace and Nos 5-13 (odd) Church Street.