The following refers to 169-187 St Georges Road, which is the Gladstone Building: “A row of 10 two storey shops constructed in 1888 occupying an acute angled corner site. There appear to have been street verandahs all the way along and most of the shop windows have been replaced, possibly in the 1920’s. Some windows have more recently been remodelled. The first floor however is in intact. Each shop has a pair of arch headed windows. There is a simple dentillated cornice surmounted originally by a parapet or balustrade which has been removed and the top re-capped. This leaves exposed in a rather strange way the corner aedicule containing a bust of Gladstone, and the name ‘Gladstone Buildings’. At the top of this corner motif there were originally urns or balls, of which only the bases remain. The only other noteworthy feature is that in the ground floor shop windows, what looks like original timber work survives. At the top of all but the corner shop front four long panels with curbed timber corners are visible. The corner shop ones may still be there under the sheeting.
The foundation stone adjoining the corner door reads “THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THIS TERRACE OF SHOPS WAS LAID ON THE 30TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1888 BY JOHN MCMAHON, OF ALFRED CRESCENT NORTH FITZROY JAMES HOLDEN CONTRACTOR”. (North Fitzroy Conservation Study 1978) (Glossary)
