Former shop

32a Holloway Road, Aro Valley, Wellington
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Image: Charles Collins, 2015

Image: WCC - Charles Collins, 2015

Cityview GIS 2013
Cityview GIS 2013
Map

  • Constructed

    c.1880

  • Architect(s)

    Unknown

  • Builder(s)

    Unknown

  • This building has architectural value due to the unusual nature of its design and construction. Number 32a is an unusual building on Holloway Street that has been placed on an extremely difficult site.  Its corner site has determined its wedge shape. It is constructed in wood with a corrugated iron roof and is extremely plain with no ornamental features. Its type of construction and materials are representative of typical houses of the day.

    This house has had a modest and typical history for a building in Wellington. It is associated with the early settlement of Mitchelltown and was used as a general store from the turn of the century until the 1980s. 

    This house is a good representative of the construction techniques and materials common to the period. It has had a modest and representative history for a commercial/residential building.  

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  • close History

    • Holloway Road, as an area, has had a long and interesting history. Situated in Mitchelltown in the Aro Valley, the area is typical of Wellington with its steep and uneven topography and sheltered valley spaces. Maori originally settled at the western end of the valley, utilising the Waimapihi Stream. In 1839 the land was purchased by the New Zealand company and European settlement followed.

      John Mitchell arrived in Wellington in November 1841 with his wife Mary and their six children. By 1850 the family had purchased land in Tawa, which was sold in 1854 enabling the family to purchase 215 acres at the top of the Aro Valley.

      Much of this land was steep hills covered in Rimu, Rata, and Matai, and Mitchell set about clearing the land, selling the timber to locals. By 1873 the land was predominantly cleared and was being used to run sheep.

      John Mitchell established the land as a family business, and his sons William, James, and Henry each had shares. Henry Mitchell bought out his brothers shares in the business and he is responsible for Holloway Road as it is seen today. Henry proceeded to subdivide the property to accommodate several building sites and then built thirty cottages of varying sizes, some single rooms while others had up to ten. Mitchell used these cottages as accommodation for his workers, preferring to lease the properties rather than sell them. Holloway Road was in many ways a ‘working mans village’, and has similar beginnings as the Aro Valley workers cottages, Tonks Grove, and Tinakori Road; despite the addition of some larger buildings in the 1900s and some modern development, the road remains in an almost original state.

      Mitchell sold a thirty acre parcel to Robert Tait who also used the land to build houses, creating what is now known as Taitville. Mitchelltown today still resembles a small outlying town, with Holloway Road as one of its primary streets.

      The pre 1900 community flourished, with the population being enough to sustain two grocers, butchery, and a school. Several small dairy herds, poultry runs, and vegetable gardens provided the essentials for the locals. In the early 1900’s some of the smaller buildings were demolished to make way for some larger two storey buildings. In 1914 one hundred and eight men were enlisted to serve in World War One from Mitchelltown, of which 19 were killed and 31 were wounded. In 1920 the community erected a memorial to these soldiers at the junction of Holloway Road and Aro Street.

      In the 1920s there were 92 properties in the valley, and two local identities owned 24 of these. William Haines (butcher) and John Brosnahan (carpenter) were landlords to many of the locals, helping Mitchelltown to retain its working class character. The economic downturn and subsequent depression in the 1930s saw poverty rise to new levels, tenant turnover was extremely high, community spirit was difficult to maintain, the shops began to close, and the dwellings soon began to fall into disrepair.

      Following World War Two and the rise of the state house in other areas of the city saw the legacy of Mitchelltown’s working past further lost. By 1963 complaints were being heard and newspapers such as The Evening Post were reporting that the Mitchelltown dwellings had become slums, and city councillors noted that the area illustrated an advanced stage of urban decay and advocated for their demolition and replacement with modern buildings. This did not occur, and the area continued to deteriorate.

      In the 1980s Victoria University proposed a sports facility for Holloway Road, which would be possible only with major earthworks, to which the residents of the area were vehemently opposed. The residents of Holloway Road became well known for their protests which stopped many planned demolitions

      This area remains well preserved and is significant as a complete nineteenth century working class settlement. There have been few additions made to the streetscape and it remains almost unchanged from the time that the majority of these houses were constructed.

      This house is found in Mitchelltown, which is named for brothers William, James, and Henry Mitchell, who purchased Section 10 Ohiro District in 1857. James and Henry received a crown grant for the land in 1878. The land was steep and covered in mature rata, but the brothers took advantage of this by clearing the land and supplying firewood and timber to people in Wellington. They then ran sheep on the land. Henry Mitchell later bought out his brother and had approximately 30 cottages built on the land for his workers. Mitchell also began subdividing Section 10 just prior to the turn of the century.

      Until recently, this building housed a succession of general stores, from Carmody’s Store and Post Office at the turn of the century, to the Mitchelltown General Store which was run by a co-operative throughout the early 1980s.

      Number 32a is an unusual building on Holloway Street. Its corner site has determined its wedge shape. It is constructed in wood with a corrugated iron roof and is extremely plain with no ornamental features. The entrance to the building was originally on the corner of Holloway Road and the old Bullock track, but it was moved when the building was converted to a studio. A number of the windows have also been replaced since the construction of this building.

      The small scale and unusual shape of this building makes it a valuable part of the Mitchelltown landscape, and is a testament to the workmanship of the builders and designers who made the best of the opportunities afforded by a difficult and awkwardly shaped site.


    • Modifications close
      • unknown
      • (original plans unavailable)
      • c.1880
      • Original Construction
      • 2012
      • 32A Holloway Road, Swap existing free standing fire with new Metro Tiny Rad using liner and flashing (00078:4125:257920)
    • Occupation History close
      • unknown
      • Not assessed
  • close Architectural Information
    • Building Classification(s) close

      Not assessed

    • Architecture close

      Number 32a is an unusual building on Holloway Street, featuring typical materials and construction for a 1880s dwelling, but being placed on an extremely difficult site. Its corner site has determined its wedge shape. It is constructed in wood with a corrugated iron roof and is extremely plain with no ornamental features. The entrance to the building was originally on the corner of Holloway Road and the old Bullock track, but it was moved when the building was converted to a studio. A number of the windows have also been replaced since the construction of this building.

    • Materials close

      Rusticated weatherboard

      Timber joinery

      Corrugated iron roofing

    • Setting close

      This building is set on an extremely prominent corner site, and the unusual shape and small scale of the building all give it a high streetscape value. Leading up the right hand side of the building is a narrow path. Set behind and to the left of the building (following Holloway Road) is a small, one storey, typical workers cottage which has a verandah set over the door that features a small finial, adding visual interest to an otherwise plain cottage. The broader setting is of old timber houses, located mainly at the valley floor. This house is an element in the historic area of Mitchelltown and the wider Aro Valley area and has high group value with the many other domestic buildings of the era in Holloway Road.

  • close Cultural Value

    This building has architectural value due to the unusual nature of its design and construction. Number 32a is an unusual building on Holloway Street that has been placed on an extremely difficult site. Its corner site has determined its wedge shape. It is constructed in wood with a corrugated iron roof and is extremely plain with no ornamental features. Its type of construction and materials are representative of typical houses of the day.

    This house has had a modest and typical history for a building in Wellington. It is associated with the early settlement of Mitchelltown and was used as a general store from the turn of the century until the 1980s.

    This house is a good representative of the construction techniques and materials common to the period. It has had a modest and representative history for a commercial/residential building.

    • 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 building has architectural value due to the unusual nature of its design and construction. Number 32a is an unusual building on Holloway Street that has been placed on an extremely difficult site. Its corner site has determined its wedge shape. It is constructed in wood with a corrugated iron roof and is extremely plain with no ornamental features. Its type of construction and materials are representative of typical houses of the day.

      • 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?

        This house is an important element in the historic area of Mitchelltown and the wider Aro Valley area and has high group value with the many other domestic buildings of the era in Holloway Road.

      • 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 building is set on an extremely prominent corner site, and the unusual shape and small scale of the building all give it a high streetscape value. This house has townscape value due to its position with the other houses on Holloway Road.

    • Historic Value close

      • Association

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

        This house has had a modest and typical history for a building in Wellington. It is associated with the early settlement of Mitchelltown and was used as a general store from the turn of the century until the 1980s.

    • Scientific Value close

      • Archaeological

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

        This building was constructed pre 1900, so is likely to have some archaeological value associated with it.

    • 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?

        This house is an important part of the local community and makes a contribution to the wider setting of Holloway Road. It contributes significantly to the sense of place and continuity in the Aro Valley.

    • 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?

        This house has had few listed modifications made and retains a relatively authentic quality. It has authenticity of style, craftsmanship, materials, and setting.

      • Local Regional National International

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

        This house is locally significant for its architectural, townscape, and group values, its historic associations, its archaeological and technical values, and its authenticity.

      • Representative

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

        This house is a good representative of the construction techniques and materials common to the period. It has had a modest and representative history for a commercial/residential building.

    • Local / Regional / National / International Importance close

      Not assessed

  • close Site Detail

    • District Plan Number

      11/ 149/1

    • Legal Description

      Lot 1 DP 58416

    • Heritage New Zealand Listed

      2/ 4126

    • 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
      • Kelly, Michael. ‘41 Holloway Road – Heritage significance assessment.’ Prepared for the Wellington City Council, 1997.
      • Mawdsley, Matt. 61 Holloway Road – Conservation Plan.’ Prepared for Victoria University ARCH 273, 2007.
      • Wellington City Council. ‘32a Holloway Road.’ Wellington Built Heritage Inventory 1995. Wellington City Council, 1995.
      • 2012 32A Holloway Road, Swap existing free standing fire with new Metro Tiny Rad using liner and flashing (00078:4125:257920)
      • WN 28C/581
      • WN 29B/599
      • WN 345/56
    • Technical Documentation close

      Not available

    • Footnotes close

      Not available

Last updated: 10/6/2017 2:08:53 AM