Work has begun on the construction of a memorial wall dedicated to the memory of the historic Cohen’s Warehouse.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 140-year-old, heritage-listed building was destroyed by fire in 2011, prompting calls for council to preserve its memory.
The footing for the wall, which will be constructed using original sandstone blocks recovered from the foundations, was poured last week.
The blocks will be erected next week to create a wall that will be two metres high with raking side wings that retreat to a metre high, and have an overall length of five metres.
One of the wall’s features will be the bricks with markings that were found when the building was demolished.
Many of them have the CUEL mark – the brick maker being HC Cuel of Gunnedah whose family were the first brick makers in the town.
Their kilns remain on the current site of Namoi Valley Brickworks.
There are other indentation marks in the salvaged bricks ranging from diamonds, rectangles and other curious shapes.
“A large bronze plaque will be placed in the wall and will relate the heritage value of Cohen’s Warehouse and the prominence of George Cohen in the early years of Gunnedah,” council’s director of planning, development and environmental services, Michael Silver said.
Cohen’s Warehouse was built in 1870 on the corner of Maitland and Marquis streets by George Cohen, who had come to Gunnedah as a storekeeper in the 1850s.
It later operated as a flour mill, freezing works and a butchery for the Affleck family until it fell into disrepair and was bought by council.
It was destroyed by fire in November 2011 and later demolished.
Council expects the heritage works that acknowledge the warehouse building and associated environmental management works around Cohen Park in the eastern Riverine precinct will be completed by early next year.