Houses
39 Aro Street
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Constructed
1903 - 1903
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Heritage Area
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Architect(s)
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Builder(s)
Unknown
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These semi-detached houses are a good representative example of the Edwardian villa style and show the influence of San Francisco/Italianate on speculative housing in Wellington at the turn of the last century. The buildings are an example of a semi-detached dwelling typology that is relatively rare in Wellington.
As one of two identical pairs of semi-detached houses, 39-41 has obvious townscape value and offers an important stylistic contrast with the villas and cottages opposite.
These buildings are a part of the largest collection of intact working class buildings in Wellington, giving them an important local significance. These houses should be recognised for their outstanding group heritage value.
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Downloadable(s)
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History
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39-41 Aro Street are part of a row of four houses (arranged as two semi-detached pairs), that were constructed in 1903 for John Collins. Collins was a former compositor who had immigrated to New Zealand from London in 1875 and would later become Mayor of Melrose Borough. He appears to have been living in the Aro Valley since 1885, when his name is first found in the street directory. It appears that he gradually acquired a number of leases on properties from absentee Maori landlords and built houses on these sections. He had a particular interest in Sections 37 and 39 (side by side). Collins gained a lease of Lot 5 of Town Acre 39 from Tari Tahua in 1889, and in 1899 his wife Ellen purchased a portion of this land from Tari Tahua. Many of Collins properties were placed in his wife’s name, a manoeuvre thought to be related to reducing tax exposure. Ellen Collins died in 1915 and the land passed to Charles Collins (presumably a son). He kept the land for six years and then sold it to Isabella Philp, who subdivided the property.
No. 39 was sold to Thomas Lawrence, a civil servant. Prior to his purchase of the house it had been occupied by Alice Topp, a dressmaker, and John Topp (either her husband or her son), an engineer. William McKay, a labourer, was the occupant for 10 years or so before Lawrence moved into the house. In 1924 Elizabeth Marks bought the house, but after a mortgagee sale it was sold to Annie Wrigley. Two years later she sold it to May Moore, a widow. In 1935 May Moore married William Stanley and it would appear that they did not live in No. 39, and the occupants are listed as Edward Glennon, a labourer, and Keith Stewart, a stonemason and his wife Rose. Rose Stewart continued to live at the house before it was converted into two flats in the late 1940s. It remained subdivided until the house was reinstated in the 1960s by then owner Constantino Zografidis, who had purchased the property in 1953. In the interim the house had changed hands frequently, and in 1969 the house was purchased by The Salvation Army, whose training college was next door. They made $4860 worth of alterations to the house. The Salvation Army used 39, 43, and 45 Aro Street as overflow accommodation before they moved their training college to new premises in 1982. Following its purchase in 1983 by Brent Goodwin, the house changed hands regularly and is now owned by Kenneth Walker and Heather Mackintosh.
In 1922 Isabella Philp sold No. 41 to Joseph Armstrong, who was a baker. Prior to this sale the house had primarily been a rental property. The first occupant had been Emma Sadd. By 1914 the house was occupied by Janet Galloway, a nurse, and she was soon followed by Patrick Healey, a laundryman. The Armstrong’s remained in the house for many years. Joseph Armstrong died in 1934 and his wife Sophie remained the owner of the house until her death in 1955. The house was inherited by her daughter in law Susan, who may have already been living there with her husband A.K. Armstrong. In 1958 the house was purchased by Iris Malloch, who occupied the house until she sold it to the Salvation Army in 1977, which had its training college just down the road. In 1984 Tim and Dora Parker bought the house from the Army and then sold it the following year to Darrell and Anne Grace, who then sold it to Christopher Dezondonati in 1988. Tamsin Ruffell, a bookseller, acquired the house in 1990 under a mortgagee sale. The current owner is Julian Silver.
These semi-detached houses are mirror images of one another and are just one room wide with a concrete party wall on one side. The houses show an Italianate influence in their style and bear a resemblance to the terrace housing in San Francisco. The cladding is rusticated weatherboarding and the roofs are hipped and clad with corrugated iron. Chimneystacks are incorporated into the party wall. The street façade has a splayed bay, incorporating three double hung sash windows, running the full height of the house. The main entrances are on the sides of the house. The interiors originally followed the traditional separation of services and living rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms above.
No. 39 and 41, as part of a group of two identical pairs of semi-detached houses on lower Aro Street, help to create a distinctive streetscape. The double bays on the street façade create an interesting visual rhythm to Boston Terrace across the four houses, making them of obvious townscape value and offering a stylistic contrast with the villas and cottages opposite. The houses resemble the type that was typically being built in San Francisco at this time, and although not rare, these semi-detached dwellings are relatively uncommon in Wellington. Their association with John Collins, a Mayor of Melrose Borough enhances the historic significance of the houses above that of the average Aro Street house.
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Modifications
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1903
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1903 39, 41, 43 and 45 Aro Street, four semi-detached dwellings (00053:95:5395)
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1938
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39 Aro Street, retaining wall (00056:215:B18454)
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1965
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39-45 Aro Street, dwelling alterations (00058:407:C17398)
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1973
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39-45 Aro Street, outbuilding alterations (00058:564:C26862)
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1982
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39-45 Aro Street, repile (00058:0:C59936)
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2010
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39 Aro Street, internal renovation to kitchen, laundry and bathrooms; new external windows and doors (00078:3655:205744)
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2004
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41 Aro Street, repile and floor replacement (00078:1206:112341)
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2008
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41 Aro Street, reconfigure bedroom 3 and 4 into one bedroom (00078:3091:186503)
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Occupation History
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unknown
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No. 39
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1935
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Alice Topp – Dressmaker and John Topp – Engineer William McKay
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unknown
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Thomas Lawrence
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1935
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Edward Glennon – Labourer
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unknown
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Keith Stewart – Storeman and Rose Stewart
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1969
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The Salvation Army
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unknown
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No. 41
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1903
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Emma Sadd
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1914
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Janet Galloway – Nurse
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unknown
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Patrick Healey – Laundryman
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1922
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Joseph and Sophie Armstrong
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1955
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Susan and A.K. Armstrong
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1956
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Iris Malloch
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1977
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The Salvation Army
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39-41 Aro Street are part of a row of four houses (arranged as two semi-detached pairs), that were constructed in 1903 for John Collins. Collins was a former compositor who had immigrated to New Zealand from London in 1875 and would later become Mayor of Melrose Borough. He appears to have been living in the Aro Valley since 1885, when his name is first found in the street directory. It appears that he gradually acquired a number of leases on properties from absentee Maori landlords and built houses on these sections. He had a particular interest in Sections 37 and 39 (side by side). Collins gained a lease of Lot 5 of Town Acre 39 from Tari Tahua in 1889, and in 1899 his wife Ellen purchased a portion of this land from Tari Tahua. Many of Collins properties were placed in his wife’s name, a manoeuvre thought to be related to reducing tax exposure. Ellen Collins died in 1915 and the land passed to Charles Collins (presumably a son). He kept the land for six years and then sold it to Isabella Philp, who subdivided the property.
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Architectural Information
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Building Classification(s)
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Not assessed
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Architecture
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These semi-detached houses are mirror images of one another and are just one room wide with a concrete party wall on one side. The houses show an Italianate influence in their style and bear a resemblance to the terrace housing in San Francisco. The cladding is rusticated weatherboarding and the roofs are hipped and clad with corrugated iron. Chimneystacks are incorporated into the party wall. The street façade has a splayed bay, incorporating three double hung sash windows, running the full height of the house. The main entrances are on the sides of the house. The interiors originally followed the traditional separation of services and living rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms above.
Semi detached houses were cheaper to build and often constructed during this period by speculators. They show minimal decoration, with bay windows, decorative door arches, and gable trusses being among the only elements used, with the party wall often shaped to fit them. The plans are simple and direct, and are usually on narrow sections.
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Materials
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Timber weatherboard and joinery
Corrugated Iron roofing
Concrete party wall
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Setting
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The semi-detached houses at 39-41 Aro Street are part of the group of houses and buildings that make up the Aro Street cottages Historic Area. This house is one of a group of two identical semi-detached houses that form part of the distinctive streetscape of Lower Aro Street between the large Neo Georgian William Booth Memorial Home and Boston Terrace.
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.
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Building Classification(s)
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Cultural Value
These semi-detached houses are a good representative example of the Edwardian villa style and show the influence of San Francisco/Italianate on speculative housing in Wellington at the turn of the last century. The buildings are an example of a semi-detached dwelling typology that is relatively rare in Wellington.
As one of two identical pairs of semi-detached houses, 39-41 has obvious townscape value and offers an important stylistic contrast with the villas and cottages opposite.
These buildings are a part of the largest collection of intact working class buildings in Wellington, giving them an important local significance. These houses should be recognised for their outstanding group heritage value.
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Aesthetic Value
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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 semi-detached houses are a good representative example of the Edwardian villa style and show the influence of San Francisco/Italianate on speculative housing in Wellington at the turn of the last century. The buildings are an example of a semi-detached dwelling typology that is relatively rare in Wellington.
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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. These houses should be recognised for their outstanding group heritage value.
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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?
As one of two identical semi-detached houses, 39-41 has obvious townscape value and offers an important stylistic contrast with the villas and cottages opposite.
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Historic Value
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Association
Is the item associated with an important historic event, theme, pattern, phase, or activity?
While the historical associations may appear slight, as these buildings have not 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.
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- Scientific Value close
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Social Value
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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 houses 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.
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Level of Cultural Heritage Significance
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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.
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Representative
Is the item a good example of the class it represents?
These houses are good representative of the types of dwellings that were being constructed at the turn of the century. They are constructed in materials, and using techniques, that were common to the period.
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Importance
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
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Local / Regional / National / International Importance
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Not assessed
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Aesthetic Value
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Site Detail
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District Plan Number
16/ 13.1
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Legal Description
Lot 3 DP 5493
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Heritage New Zealand Listed
2/ Historic Places 4114 & 1083
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Archaeological Site
Risk unknown - area known to be occupied pre-1900
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Current Uses
unknown
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Former Uses
unknown
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Has building been funded
No
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Funding Amount
Not applicable
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Earthquake Prone Status
Outside Earthquake Prone Policy
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Additional Information
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Sources
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- Kelly, Michael. ‘Aro Valley Cottages Heritage Area – Aro Pt 2 doc.’ Unpublished report prepared for Wellington City Council, 2002.
- Archives: 1903 39, 41, 43 and 45 Aro Street, four semi-detached dwellings (00053:95:5395)
- No. 39
- Archives: 1938 39 Aro Street, retaining wall (00056:215:B18454)
- Archives: 1965 39-45 Aro Street, dwelling alterations (00058:407:C17398)
- Archives: 1968 39-45 Aro Street, outbuilding alterations (00058:564:C26862)
- Archives: 1973 39 Aro Street, reinstate dwelling (00058:869:C38677)
- Archives: 1982 39-45 Aro Street, repile (00058:0:C59936)
- Archives: 2010 39 Aro Street, internal renovation to kitchen, laundry and bathrooms; new external windows and doors (00078:3655:205744)
- No. 41
- Archives: 2004 41 Aro Street, repile and floor replacement (00078:1206:112341)
- Archives: 2008 41 Aro Street, reconfigure bedroom 3 and 4 into one bedroom (00078:3091:186503)
- Technical Documentation close
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Footnotes
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Not available
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Sources
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Last updated: 12/1/2016 12:35:16 AM