page_title: Edwards and Chapman Building
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Edwards and Chapman Building / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Chapman &amp; Company drapery warehouse on Queen Street, Brisbane, 1902
context_page_description: The Edwards and Chapman Building is a heritage-listed retail warehouse at 120 Queen Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley and built from 1881 to 1882 by Henry Holmes. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
context_section_description: This building was erected as a retail warehouse during 1881–1882 and occupied by Edwards and Chapman in December 1882.
  Welsh businessman Richard Edwards joined Scotsman James Chapman in the establishment of a drapery store in Brisbane in 1877. Successful in their venture, the two required larger premises and in September 1881 acquired deeds of grant to Allotments 13, 13A and 14 of Section 12. The convict barracks, later first parliamentary buildings and supreme court had stood on this site from 1827 until its demolition in early 1881. A government decision to dispose of this Crown land prompted the redevelopment of the northern side of Queen street bounded by the old Brisbane Town Hall (in 2016, the NEXT Hotel site) and Albert Street.
  Ex-Colonial Architect Francis DG Stanley supervised the construction of the building by contractor H Holmes. With a frontage of 48 feet (15 m) to Queen Street and a depth of 138 feet (42 m), this substantial warehouse incorporated features designed to "meet the requirements of a tropical climate". The three storey building with basement was notable for its 18 feet (5.5 m) ceilings, and had an oval opening 50 by 15 feet (15.2 by 4.6 m) in each floor. This device was intended to allow ventilation and better light dispersion. A hydraulic-powered Otis lift was also incorporated in the building.
  The company was dissolved when Richard Edwards retired in 1891 and James Chapman obtained title to the site in May of that year. As Chapman and Company the business diversified into soft furnishings and furniture. In 1923 extensive alterations were carried out to the shopfronts by SS Carrick under the guidance of architectural firm Hall and Prentice. The work necessitated the insertion of steel columns and girders into the existing stonework.
  Chapmans sold the building in 1938 ending the a 56-year association with the site. Subsequently, the building has been occupied by many other retail businesses. In 1992 when the building was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, it was occupied by the women's clothing store Sportsgirl. In 2016, the basement level was occupied by a pharmacy.
  The building is now occupied on the three upper levels by City Beach, a Queensland-based fashion retailer.
caption: Chapman and Company drapery store, 1902
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