House

34 Aro Street, Aro Valley, Te Aro
34 Aro Street (Image: Charles Collins, 2015)
34 Aro Street (Image: WCC - Charles Collins, 2015)
Map

  • Constructed

    c.1870 - c.1880

  • Heritage Area

    Aro Valley Cottages Heritage Area

  • Architect(s)

    Andrew Bonthorne

  • Builder(s)

    Andrew Bonthorne

  • These four cottages have architectural value as examples of small vernacular cottages influenced by the Neo-Georgian, or Colonial Georgian style. They are excellent examples of the type of building that was typical of the period.

    This close knit group of cottages of colonial design has high visual and townscape value. Their placement close to the road edge makes them a prominent feature of Aro Street and they contribute significantly to the streetscape.

    While the historical associations may appear slight, as few of the buildings have been associated with any events of great importance, their historical significance is associated with the fact that the area has an almost unbroken history of working class life, and the houses consistently reflect this history.

  • Downloadable(s)

    Download this content as PDF

  • close History
    • The four cottages that make up 32-38 Aro Street are significant for their authentic colonial appearance and their close grouping which gives them a visual and historical coherence (despite some changes to the appearance of No. 38). These houses, now of a considerable age, have representative value as the homes of working class people. Although none have been specifically associated with significant people or events, they should be recognised for their group heritage value and as representatives of their time. 

      These cottages were constructed as a part of a development of eight nearly identical houses – four on each side street – on a section straddling land between Palmer and Aro Streets. At the time Aro Street was known as Woodsworth Street. Rate books indicate that the houses were built around 1879, as the first listing of the houses appears in the 1879-80 rate book. The cottages were constructed by builder Andrew Bonthorne, who sub-leased the land from Robert Port, who in turn had leased the land from Jeanne Imlay of Wanganui, and Hugh Dean of Bath, England, in 1871. Bonthorne took out a mortgage for £ 1400 in August 1878 and two smaller mortgages the following year. The houses were in place by 1880 when Bonthorne requested that a street lamp was put in Palmer Street so that tenants of his properties could find their way home. In 1901 all of the houses underwent repairs.      

      The earliest certificate of title shows that the entire section was still undivided in 1925, when it was owned by Eva Dwan. She sold the Aro Street houses to Andrew Hamilton, a WCC employee in 1935. 

      The houses have often been tenanted, but early occupants are not easily identified from the street directories. 

      By the early 1900s No. 32 was occupied by John Fuller, a messenger. By the following decade, the house was occupied by James Ogilvie, a railway employee and Mrs Elizabeth Cole, and by 1920 Ogilvie’s Widow Agnes. In 1931 Robert Anderson, a painter, was living in the house. In 1941 the house was purchased from Andrew Hamilton by Peter Del Favaro, a carpenter, who lived in the house until 1958. The house was then purchased by Thomas Farley, a store man and his wife Mary. After his wife’s death in 1980 Thomas Farley kept the property for a further six years before selling to Elizabeth Paul. The house was purchased by Francesca Brice and Kathleen Jasonsmith in 1998, and by 20013 the house was in the ownership of Qbissima Ltd. The current owners are Vanessa Ray Robson and Douglas Ian Robson.   

      No. 34 by 1900 was occupied by Mrs Bridget McGrath. This occupancy was followed by William Burgess, a motor mechanic. By 1920, compositor Colin Read was living in the house, and by the mid 1930s David Kirkwood, a chef, and his wife Gladys had moved into the house and proceeded to purchase it in 1941 from Andrew Hamilton. David Kirkwood died in 1980 and the house was sold to Ailsa Fyfe in 1981. In 2001 the house was purchased by Kevin and Elizabeth Foley and Neil Taylor. The present owner (2013) is Juliet Kate Glass. 

      There is occupation information for No. 36 dating to slightly earlier than for the other houses in this group. Harriet Dixon occupied the house in the late 1890s, and by 1909 the house was in the possession of Alfred Rudd, a plasterer. He was followed by Joseph Potts, a grocer, and then by 1920 Arthur Clifford, a barman. He occupied the house for the next decade before James Saffery, a seaman, moved in. In 1941 the house was sold by Andrew Hamilton to Mary Waters, who in turn sold it to another seaman, John Williamson. In 1956 Williamson sold the house to store man Brian Guest. Guest died in 1977, but it was not until 1986 that the house was sold, to Tamatea Moeahu. The owners in 2013 are Wendy Jane Averill and Graham Charles Leech. 

      John Thomson occupied the house at No. 38 in the late 1890s and he was followed by Robert Butler, a labourer. By 1920 Clare Barton occupied the house and she remained there for nearly two decades. She was followed by John Keating, a labourer and bricklayer, and his wife Caroline, who went on to buy the property in 1941. After the death of his wife in 1956 John Keating kept the house until his own death in 1967. The house was purchased by direct investments in 1972 and it may have been at this time that it was divided into two small flats. John Roberts, an electrician, bought the property in 1974 and the sold it two years later to Entier Associates. The house suffered a fire in 1979 and as a result the front wall of the house was rebuilt using 1920s style joinery. Barry Godfrey, a painter, bought the property in 1980, and following this the house was bought and sold several times. It was finally purchased by Joseph Townsley in 1987. He then sold the house to Purple T Investments in 1996. The owner by 2013 is Helen Gilbert.    

      Each of these houses follows a similar plan. They are simple, unpretentious, houses, square in plan, single storey in the front and two storeys at the rear where the land falls away. Each has lapped weatherboards, and the roofs have corrugated iron cladding. The front portion of each house is gabled and a lean to extends onto the rear elevations. Originally each house had four rooms and 34-36 had verandahs on their rear elevations. Where 32-36 have a central door flanked by sash windows, with a verandah the full width of the house – presumably the original arrangement – 38 has no verandah and a casement and shutter window arrangement on either side of the door. This in turn is surmounted by an awning. There is a chimneystack at the middle rear of each cottage.
    • Modifications close
      • 1983
      • 34 Aro Street, dwelling additions and alterations (00058:0:C63661)
      • 1999
      • 34 Aro Street, kitchen and bathroom upgrade, new piles and new deck (00078:555:56691)
    • Occupation History close
      • unknown
      • Not assessed
  • close Architectural Information
    • Building Classification(s) close

      Not assessed

    • Architecture close
      These four cottages are among the best remaining examples of workers cottages from the 1870s and 1880s. They follow a typical cottage form from the period, influenced by Neo Georgian architecture. They have a symmetrical elevation about the central doorway; a verandah, continuous with the single gable extends across the entire front façade of 32-36, but this feature is missing from No. 38. The only decoration consists of simple brackets on the verandah posts and the rectilinear arrangement on the window and door panes on 32-36, again missing from No. 38. No. 38 was damaged by fire in 1979 and the front wall replaced, this explains the differences in the appearance of the house. The cottages are single storey at the front and double storey at the rear. 

      Some have suggested an Australian influence in their design, in particular the low slung roofs and generous verandahs. Whatever the origins, they are a marked contrast to the rest of the houses in the area. 

      This close knit group of cottages of colonial design has high visual and townscape value. Their placement close to the road edge makes them a prominent feature of Aro Street and they contribute significantly to the streetscape.
    • Materials close
      Rusticated weatherboards

      Timber joinery

      Corrugated iron gable roofing
    • Setting close
      The houses at 32-38 Aro Street are part of the group of houses and buildings that make up the Aro Street cottages Historic Area. These houses have a colonial simplicity that is indicative of their age and purpose as workers’ housing. 

      The area is confined to the older, visually compatible structures that flank Aro Street, an area that has coherence as all the buildings were constructed between 1875 and 1910 and share similarities in history – predominantly that of working class people of the area – and in design and the use of construction materials. The area shares a homogeneity of design, appearance, and construction, and most of the buildings are typical of their times.
  • close Cultural Value
    These four cottages have architectural value as examples of small vernacular cottages influenced by the Neo-Georgian, or Colonial Georgian style. They are excellent examples of the type of building that was typical of the period.

    This close knit group of cottages of colonial design has high visual and townscape value. Their placement close to the road edge makes them a prominent feature of Aro Street and they contribute significantly to the streetscape.

    While the historical associations may appear slight, as few of the buildings have been associated with any events of great importance, their historical significance is associated with the fact that the area has an almost unbroken history of working class life, and the houses consistently reflect this history.
    • Aesthetic Value close

      • Architectural

        Does the item have architectural or artistic value for characteristics that may include its design, style, era, form, scale, materials, colour, texture, patina of age, quality of space, craftsmanship, smells, and sounds?

        These four cottages have architectural value as examples of small vernacular cottages influenced by the Neo-Georgian, or Colonial Georgian style. They are excellent examples of the type of building that was typical of the period.

      • Group

        Group: Is the item part of a group of buildings, structures, or sites that taken together have coherence because of their age, history, style, scale, materials, or use?

        These buildings are a part of the largest collection of intact working class buildings in Wellington, giving them an important local significance.

      • Townscape

        Does the item have townscape value for the part it plays in defining a space or street; providing visual interest; its role as a landmark; or the contribution it makes to the character and sense of place of Wellington?

        This close knit group of cottages of colonial design has high visual and townscape value. Their placement close to the road edge makes them a prominent feature of Aro Street and they contribute significantly to the streetscape.

    • Historic Value close

      • Association

        Is the item associated with an important historic event, theme, pattern, phase, or activity?

        While the historical associations may appear slight, as few of the buildings have been associated with any events of great importance, their historical significance is associated with the fact that the area has an almost unbroken history of working class life, and the houses consistently reflect this history.

    • Scientific Value close

      • Archaeological

        Does the item have archaeological value for its ability to provide scientific information about past human activity?

        Pre 1900 Buildings

      • Educational

        Does the item have educational value for what it can demonstrate about aspects of the past?

        These cottages have some educational value as examples of small vernacular workers cottages from the 1870s and 1880s in Wellington, showing how people would have lived at he turn of the century.

    • Social Value close

      • Identity Sense of Place Continuity

        Is the item a focus of community, regional, or national identity? Does the item contribute to sense of place or continuity?

        These cottages contribute to the sense of place and continuity on Aro Street due to the retention of their original features and their long standing place on the street.

    • Level of Cultural Heritage Significance close

      • Authentic

        Does the item have authenticity or integrity because it retains significant fabric from the time of its construction or from later periods when important additions or modifications were carried out?

        These houses retain a significant amount of authenticity with few having had exterior modifications other than No. 38, which was damaged in a 1978 fire.

      • Significance Data

        Is the item a good example of the class it represents?

        These cottages are excellent representatives of workers dwellings from the 1870s. They constructed in materials and in a style that is typical of the time. These four cottages are among the best remaining examples of workers cottages from the 1870s and 1880s in Wellington.

      • Local

        Is the item important for any of the above characteristics at a local, regional, national, or international level?

        These buildings are a part of the largest collection of intact working class buildings in Wellington, giving them an important local significance. While the historical associations may appear slight, as few of the buildings have been associated with any events of great importance, their historical significance is associated with the fact that the area has an almost unbroken history of working class life, and the houses consistently reflect this history. Allied to this consistent history is that most of these houses retain a significant amount of authenticity with few having had exterior modifications. These houses should be recognised for their outstanding group heritage value.

    • Local / Regional / National / International Importance close

      Not assessed

  • close Site Detail

    • District Plan Number

      16/11.2

    • Legal Description

      Lot 7 DP 11917

    • Heritage New Zealand Listed

      2/Historic Place 4111

    • Archaeological Site

      Pre 1900 Building

    • Current Uses

      unknown

    • Former Uses

      unknown

    • Has building been funded

      No

    • Funding Amount

      Not applicable

    • Earthquake Prone Status

      Not Earthquake Prone

  • close Additional Information
    • Sources close
      • 1986 32 Aro Street, repile (00059:60:D5288)
      • 1998 32 Aro Street, deck (00078:1277:43641)
      • 1999 34 Aro Street, kitchen and bathroom upgrade, new piles and new deck (00078:555:56691)
      • 1983 34 Aro Street, dwelling additions and alterations (00058:0:C63661)
      • 1979 38 Aro Street, reinstate dwelling, following fire damage (00058:1228:C52486)
      • 1980 32-38 Aro Street, repile (00058:1270:C53900)
      • 1996 38 Aro Street, replacement of wooden floor with concrete slab (00078:42:25457)
    • Technical Documentation close
    • Footnotes close

      Not available

Last updated: 10/6/2017 1:35:36 AM