Houses

43 Aro Street

43-45 Aro Street, Aro Valley, Wellington
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43-45 Aro Street (Image: Charles Collins - 2015)

43-45 Aro Street (Image: WCC - Charles Collins, 2015)

Extent: Cityview GIS 2013
Extent: Cityview GIS 2013
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  • Constructed

    1903 - 1903

  • Heritage Area

    Aro Valley Cottages Heritage Area

  • Architect(s)

    Unknown

  • Builder(s)

    Unknown

  • This is the type of housing that was made popular in this period in San Francisco, and although semi-detached dwellings are not rare, they are relatively uncommon for Wellington, adding to their aesthetic and technical values.

    As one of two identical semi-detached houses, 43-45 has obvious townscape value and offers an important stylistic contrast with the villas and cottages opposite.

    Allied to their consistent history, these houses retain a significant amount of authenticity having had few exterior modifications.

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  • close History

    • The semi-detached house at 43-45 Aro Street is one of two identical semi-detached houses 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. 

      No. 43 was kept by Isabella Philp until 1927 when it was purchased by Harry Klenberg, a tailor. Prior to this, the house had had a number of different tenants, the first was Arthur Petherick, a clerk, followed by Thomas Brown, a labourer, Albert Carnegie, a glass beveller, and William Faith, a driver, occupied the house successively until the late 1940s. It would appear that the owner Harry Klenberg did not occupy the house at all during this period. 

      Klenberg sold the house to Lena Watson in the late 1940s and after living in the house for a short period, she on sold the house to Agnes Ormberg in 1950. The house was sold again in 1957 to Valerie Brown and the house changed hands frequently after this. During this period Vasilu Ladeny, a toymaker, and his son Zoltan Ladeny, listed as a manufacturer, occupied the house for some period.[1] In 1969 the house was sold to the Salvation Army, which used the house for accommodation for students at its nearby training college. When the Army left in 1982 the house was sold in 1983 to John and Clare Schwabe and in 1989 they sold the house to Andrew Armitage and Sally Hodgson (later Armitage) who were the owners until the mid 2000s. As of 2013 the owners are Nichola Shadbolt and Shane Carroll. 

      No. 43 has had few alterations since its construction, with the only listed modifications being a permit issued in 1998 for internal alterations to convert the kitchen/laundry area at the rear of the house into a large open kitchen. 

      No. 45 has had a slightly different history to No. 43 and many of the other houses that make up the Aro Street Cottages heritage area. During the early part of this house’s history the house was divided into a boarding house, and among the first occupants were Jeanetta Meston, Robert Adams, a student, and Gerald Cook, a drapers assistant. By 1914 the house had been converted back into a single dwelling, and was occupied in regular succession by Bridget McGrath, John Messon, a grocer, and a Mrs C. McMahon. Like the other semi detached houses, this one was also purchased by Isabella Philp in the early 1920s, and was sold by Philp to Harold Wood, a civil servant, in 1924. Wood occupied the house from the early 1930s until his death is 1967. The Salvation Army purchased the property that same year, using 39-45 Aro Street as accommodation for some years before moving their training college to new premises in 1982. In 1982 Stephen Raymond, a mechanic, purchased the house. In the early 2000s a Stephen Raymond Clegg was the owner (possibly the same person as the 1982 purchaser), and it is now (2013) owned by Susan Tait and Brennon Wood. 

      The only listed modification that is specific to No. 45 is re-piling in 1983. It has been through other interior changes carried out by owners of both buildings in 1965, 1968, and 1982.  

      This semi-detached house is a mirror image of that at 39-41 Aro Street. No. 43 and 45 are separated by a concrete party wall and the house shows an Italianate influence in its style and resembles terrace housing seen in San Francisco during this period. The cladding is rusticated weatherboarding, and the roofs are hipped and clad with corrugated iron. Chimneystacks are incorporated in the fabric of the party wall. The street façade has a splayed bay, incorporating three double hung sash windows, running the full height of the building. The eaves follow the lines of the bay. The main entrance is on the side of the house. The interior originally followed the traditional separation of services and living rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms above.  

      This house is one of a group of two identical semi-detached houses on Aro Street, situated between the William Booth Memorial Home and Boston Terrace. They contribute a significant amount of visual interest to an already distinctive streetscape, with the double bays on the street facades creating a visual rhythm across the four houses. They offer a stylistic contrast with the villas and cottages elsewhere on the street. These kinds of semi-detached houses, although not rare, are relatively uncommon in Wellington which makes these houses of aesthetic and technical interest.    



    • Modifications close
      • 1903
      • 1903 39, 41, 43 and 45 Aro Street, four semi-detached dwellings (00053:95:5395)
      • 1965
      • 39-45 Aro Street, dwelling alterations (00058:407:C17398)
      • 1968
      • 39-45 Aro Street, outbuilding alterations (00058:564:C26862)
      • 1982
      • 39-45 Aro Street, repile (00058:0:C59936)
      • 1998
      • 43 Aro Street, internal alterations (00078:345:47262)
      • 1983
      • 45 Aro Street, repile (00058:0:C63884)
      • 2008
      • 41 Aro Street, reconfigure bedroom 3 and 4 into one bedroom (00078:3091:186503)
    • Occupation History close
      • unknown
      • No. 43
      • 1903
      • Arthur Petherick – Clerk
      • unknown
      • Thomas Brown – Labourer
      • unknown
      • Albert Carnegie – Glass beveller
      • unknown
      • William Faith – Driver
      • 1940
      • Lena Watson
      • unknown
      • Vasilu Ladeny – Toymaker and Zoltan Ladeny – Manufacturer
      • 1969
      • The Salvation Army
      • unknown
      • No. 45
      • 1914
      • Bridget McGrath
      • unknown
      • John Messon – Grocer
      • unknown
      • Mrs C. McMahon
      • 1924
      • Harold Wood
      • 1967
      • The Salvation Army
  • close Architectural Information
    • Building Classification(s) close

      Not assessed

    • Architecture close

      These semi-detached houses are two storeyed, one room wide, and in reasonable authentic condition on the exterior. The upper windows show an Italianate influence. The eaves, supported by small brackets, follow the lines of the bays and the cover board beneath the window sills are a feature of many houses from this period. The entrance to the dwellings is on the side walls which are largely unadorned, although No. 45 has a small Gothic styled hood above the doorway. The cladding of the houses is rusticated weatherboarding and the roofs are hipped and clad with corrugated iron. Chimneystacks are incorporated into the fabric of the party walls. The street façade has a splayed bay, which incorporates three double hung sash windows running the full height of the house. The interiors of the house’s have been modified since their construction, but originally followed the traditional separation of services and living rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms above.

    • Materials close

      Timber weatherboard and joinery

      Corrugated Iron roofing

      Concrete party wall

    • Setting close

      The semi-detached houses at 43-45 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.

  • close Cultural Value

    This is the type of housing that was made popular in this period in San Francisco, and although semi-detached dwellings are not rare, they are relatively uncommon for Wellington, adding to their aesthetic and technical values.

    As one of two identical semi-detached houses, 43-45 has obvious townscape value and offers an important stylistic contrast with the villas and cottages opposite.

    Allied to their consistent history, these houses retain a significant amount of authenticity having had few exterior modifications.

    • 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?

        This is the type of housing that was made popular in this period in San Francisco, and although semi-detached dwellings are not rare, they are relatively uncommon for Wellington, adding to their aesthetic and technical values.



      • 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.

      • 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, 43-45 has obvious townscape value and offers an important stylistic contrast with the villas and cottages opposite.

    • 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?

        This area of the Aro Valley is known to have been occupied pre 1900, so the risk of discovery of archaeological materials is relatively high.

    • Social Value close

      • IdentitySenseOfPlaceContinuity

        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.

    • 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?

        Allied to their consistent history, these houses retain a significant amount of authenticity having had few exterior modifications.

      • 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.

      • 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

    • Local / Regional / National / International Importance close

      Not assessed

  • close Site Detail

    • District Plan Number

      16/ 13.2

    • Legal Description

      Lot 2 DP 5493

    • Heritage New Zealand Listed

      2/ Historic Places 7084 & 4116

    • Archaeological Site

      Risk unknown - known pre 1900 activity on site

    • Current Uses

      unknown

    • Former Uses

      unknown

    • Has building been funded

      No

    • Funding Amount

      Not applicable

    • Earthquake Prone Status

      Outside Earthquake Prone Policy

  • close Additional Information
    • Sources close
      • Kelly, Michael. ‘Aro Valley Cottages Heritage Area – Aro Pt 2 doc.’ Unpublished report prepared for Wellington City Council, 2002.
      • Archives: 00053:95:5395; 39, 41, 43 and 45 Aro Street, four semi-detached dwellings27 Apr 1903
      • Archives: 00058:407:C17398; 39-45 Aro Street, dwelling alterations01 Jul 1965
      • Archives: 00058:564:C26862; 39-45 Aro Street, outbuilding alterations30 May 1968
      • Archives: 00058:0:C59936; 39-45 Aro Street, repile20 Aug 1982
      • No. 43
      • Archives: 00078:345:47262; 43 Aro Street, internal alterations1998
      • No. 45
      • Archives: 00058:0:C63884; 45 Aro Street, repile08 Dec 1983
    • Technical Documentation close
    • Footnotes close

      Not available

Last updated: 12/1/2016 12:36:41 AM