There is an impressive monument in St Saviour's Cemetery, Goulburn holding the remains of Frederick Horton Horn, his wife Elizabeth Ann and grandson Frederick Walter.
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Frederick Horton Horn was a builder who left a legacy of buildings which still stand in Goulburn today. Born in London in 1829, he arrived in Goulburn in the mid 1850s and started his business as a builder and contractor. He and his wife Elizabeth had nine children, five sons and four daughters.
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He was Mayor of Goulburn for four years as well as a horse racing judge; on the jury of the trial for the Lambing Flat Riots; a court magistrate; St Saviour's Church warden and an active member of the Mechanics' Institute.
His first important building was Lansdowne Terrace, located in Sloane Street close to Mundy Street. Lansdowne House was demolished to construct the overhead railway bridge in 1916. Lansdowne Terrace, an impressive semi-detached building as shown in the photograph, was for a time, the home of Bishop Mesac Thomas (a convenient location for the Bishop being opposite Ottiwell House, the residence of Archdeacon Puddicombe).
The Sisters of Mercy contracted Frederick to build a convent for them in Clinton Street, Goulburn in January, 1861. The cost of the whole project was £2,250.The building still stands and has been recently restored to its former glory.
Hurstville, the impressive Cowper St villa, was designed by J Goold of Sydney for Mrs Hurst and built by Frederick Horn in 1862.
In May, 1865 the tender of Mr F Horn was accepted for the erection of St Nicholas' parsonage at the Old Township and Mr H Lord was appointed to superintend the work. It is an impressive two-storey stone building with stone stable, known as Leigh House in Chantry Street.
The railway came to Goulburn in 1869. Frederick was Mayor at the time and presided over the official opening and planting of the Oak tree in Belmore Square by Lady Belmore. He was also the builder of the railway station, the carriage shed, the goods shed north. Earlier, he built the Marulan railway station and later, Yass railway station.
In 1870, construction started on Bishopthorpe, the future residence of the Bishop of Goulburn, Mesac Thomas. A large number of local dignitaries attended when Mrs Rossi laid the corner-stone. Thirteen parties competed for the works, however Frederick was successful with a price of £4599.
The architect was Mr J Hilly, working from design concepts of the Bishop and the Reverend AD Soares. It was built on land overlooking the surrounding countryside gifted partly from FRL Rossi and a government grant. Bluestone quarried on the property, relieved with Wingello sandstone was used in the build.
Saint Patrick's College built in 1874, was designed by Goulburn architect A Stombucco. The contractors were Mr Duncan, who did all the stonework, and Mr Horn, who did the finishing and trades work.
The new Bank of New South Wales was built in 1879 on the northwest corner of Auburn and Verner Streets. It was a large two- storey building designed by Sydney architect, George Mansfield, and built by Horn.
The 1872 Greville Directory shows Frederick Horn living in Auburn Street. However by 1877 the family was living in Richmond Villa on the southwest corner of Clinton and Bourke Streets.
Behind the home was Frederick Horn's timber yard. In 1877 a violent thunderstorm occurred in Goulburn, causing severe damage to the yard despite the fact that Horn had built a retaining wall to protect the yard from the creek which ran behind the property.
An ironbark log, 45 feet long was carried some distance and several large logs and a mass of timber was carried as far as Blackshaw's paddock (near Goulburn Golf Club).
The Goulburn Post Office was designed by the Colonial Architect James Barnett and built by Frederick Horn. The circa1880 building originally had a central carriageway leading to the rear courtyard. A public holiday was declared for the opening.
St Saviour's Cathedral was designed by Edmund Blacket. The laying of the foundation stone on January 30, 1874 by Bishop Mesac Thomas was commemorated with a gift from the parishioners to Mrs Thomas of a Myall wood box containing 225 sovereigns. Frederick Horn was the Clerk of Works from 1874 to his death in 1882.
Frederick owned several lots of land in Goulburn and built eight identical houses in Horne Square. Mrs Horn was living in one of these cottages at the time of her death. The houses still stand in 2022.
After Frederick's death, his sons Henry and George continued the construction business, trading as Horn Brothers.
In March, 1882 Frederick's grandson died only two months after Frederick. Frederick Walter was the son of Henry and Edith Horn and was only 13 months old. Sadly, less than a year later Henry died following a gun accident whilst out shooting at Tirranna. He was 28 years old and left a wife and a newly born baby.
Elizabeth Horn died at her residence Brooklyn, Horn Square on April 6, 1889 and is buried in the family plot in St Saviour's Cemetery along with her husband and grandson.
- Linda Cooper is a local historian and a member of Friends of Goulburn's Historic Cemeteries.
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