ARCHITECTURE
Inter-War, Bungalow with Arts & Crafts Influences
No 26 May Street is a single-storey building constructed in limestone, tuck-pointed brick and rendered brick house with a hipped and gable tiled roof. It is asymmetrically composed with a thrust gable bay and a part-width return hip roofed verandah. The verandah is supported on turned timber posts with fretwork brackets. The thrust bay features a part timbered gable casement windows and a sunhood. There is a central door and hopper light flanked by sidelights. The house is built on limestone foundation walls with brick upper walls and rendered string courses. The roofscape features masonry chimneys and finials. A set of concrete steps leads from the verandah to the garden.
HISTORY
1928 Car Registration: 19086, Ronald Keen, 26 May-street, East Fremantle, Essex. (reference)
1939 The Late Mr. F. S. Letchford. Estate Valued at £26,580. The sworn net value of the real and personal estate of Frank Stanley Letchford, late of 62 Hampton-road, Fremantle, who died on October 15 last, is £26,580. By his will dated November 9, 1937, probate of which has been granted, he bequeathed £1000 each to his brother, Rosemore Hunt Letchford, of Trayning, and his sisters, Daisy Letchford and Edna Amelia Letchford, both of Fremantle. The residue of his estate, he directed...into four equal shares in trust. He directed that the brother and the two sisters already mentioned should each receive one share and that the remaining share should be divided by giving half of it to his sister, Grace Keen, and a sixth each to her husband, Robert Casson Keen; and her sons, Robert Casason and Geoffrey Frank Keen... The testator stated that it was his desire that his executor and trustee should not sell his shares in the Swan Brewery Co. unless the executor and trustee considered they were likely to be a losing investment... (reference)
1944 Notice is hereby given that the Transfer Books of the Swan Brewery... will be closed as from 18th May, 1944, to 31st May, 1944, both dates inclusive. By order of the Board, Robert C. Keen, Local Secretary. (reference)
1947 Death on November 23, at his residence, 26 May-street, East Fremantle, Robert Casson Keen (sen.), dearly beloved husband of Grace Keen, loving father of Geoff and the late Casson and Clifford, fond father-in-law of Jean and Jessie, and grandfather of Gwendolyn, Geoffrey, Frank, Casson and Bernard; aged 69 years. (reference)
1950 Death on May 26 at Fremantle, Grace Keen, of 26 May street, East Fremantle, widow of the late Robert Casson Keen, loving mother of Geoff and the late Robert and Clifford, fond mother in-law of Jessie and Jean and loved grandmother of Casson, Bernard, Owen, Geoffrey and Frank; aged 67 years. (reference)
RESIDENTS
1915: Turner Frank
1917: Abbott, Leslie K
1918 - 1920: Neilsen, Seigfried
1921 - 1949: Robert C. Keen
