42 And 44, Trooper Road

The building at 42 and 44 Trooper Road is a meeting hall or Church House, which was converted into a farmhouse in the 17th century and is now divided into two houses. The core of the structure dates to the 16th century, with significant alterations in the 17th century, including the addition of a large south gable chimney, a cellar, a rear outshut, and the installation of the main staircase. A north gable chimney was likely added in the 19th century when the building was divided.

The building is timber-framed with a black stucco sill, roughcast panels to the jettied first floor, and painted brick infill to the ground floor. A roughcast rear outshut is present. The roof is steeply pitched, covered with old red tiles, and has a rear catslide extension over the outshut. It is a two-storey house with attics and a cellar, facing east. A continuous jetty extends across the east side towards the road. There are three windows on the first floor and two windows and two doors on the ground floor. The windows are flush casements with three lights and rectangular leaded glazing, incorporating old iron opening lights. The doors are four-panel, flush beaded, and set in heavy frames, dating to the 19th century. The jetty is cased with a boarded soffit. The timber frame exhibits wide spacing between studs, with a staggered mid-height rail. The front elevation comprises three structural bays, with a reversed, curved tension brace in the north bay. A large tension brace extends from the rear corner post of the upper south gable.

A very large external south gable chimney is constructed in English bond with tumbled offsets, flues to both floors, and a large tiled oven extension to the front. The three-bay first floor was originally open to the clasped-purlin roof, with a framed partition dividing off one bay. Mortices in the ceiling beams suggest a similar division of the ground floor. There are no remnants of an original heating system, indicating a non-domestic origin. A wide south end ground floor fireplace has recessed jambs with shelves. The chamber above this fireplace has a chamfered spine beam with run-out stops. A cellar is located beneath the south end. The rear outshut contains a diagonal corner fireplace at the southeast corner.