Tiakiwai
Te Moana, 6 Stowe Hill
Tiakiwai in the c.1880s before a second storey was added.
National Library reference: House called Te Moana in Tinakori Road, Wellington. Ref: 1/2-137406-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22340304"
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Constructed
c.1870
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Architect(s)
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Builder(s)
Unknown
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Tiakiwai was a small 1870s cottage that was substantially enlarged in the 1880s when a second storey was added. It is an unusual example of a substantial 19th century gentleman’s residence, and can be described as English Domestic Revival in style. It is notable for its distinctive barge and finial decorative details.
Tiakiwai has been a place of residence in Thorndon since circa 1870, most notably for its first upper middle-class owners, Sir Leonard Stowe and his wife Jane.
Still standing after almost 150 years, the house makes a strong contribution to a sense of continuity for the suburb of Thorndon.
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Downloadable(s)
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History
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Tiakiwai was built for Leonard Stowe, about 1870, on what later became known as Stowe Hill. The name Tiakiwai came from a nearby pa, located roughly on the site of Hobson Court on the eastern side of Hobson Street. It was abandoned in the 1840s and part of sections 659 and 660, which were set aside for the inhabitants of the pa, were later acquired by Stowe and his family.
In the interim Tiakiwai was let, but in 1939 it was sold to Nona Sutton, principal of her own placement agency, whose nephew was the Bishop of Nelson. She didn’t live there however and the house continued to be let to a variety of tenants. Peter Young understands that the house was actually condemned at some point during her tenure.
In 1951 the house was bought by fruiterer Kent Wong and he converted it into three flats – two on the ground floor and one above. An elevated walkway connected the upper storey with Frandi Street above. The conversion required the addition of some lean-tos to the house to provide enough space for three separate flats. During this time the house fell into disrepair and it gained some local notoriety, and occasional police attention, for the frequent weekend parties held there.
Stowe Hill residents, the Youngs, including Alex and Elsie and their son Peter, a solicitor, wanted to buy the place when it became available to prevent the flats from being used in a similar fashion in the future. The Youngs, as Stowe Holdings, made an offer as soon as Kent Wong died (in 1968) and it was accepted.
Initially it was intended to pull the house down, such was its apparent condition, but in the end the core of the house was thought salvageable. Peter Young managed a project of restoration and refurbishment and he hired architect, and later Mayor of Wellington, Michael Fowler, to design the changes, which included the removal of all the various lean-tos. In the absence of early plans, it was decided to try and estimate the appearance of the west elevation after the upper storey was added in the late 1800s. Some of the restoration of decorative features could only be undertaken from photographs. Much of the interior also had to be gutted, and a new kitchen was built on the west elevation. Work took place the same year the house was purchased – 1969 – and it was then let. One of the first occupants was Peter Young’s aunt.
In 1984 Peter Young, shortly before retiring, decided to move into the bottom storey of the house. At the same time he negotiated to purchase land at the south of the property to gain better vehicular access to the house and the following year he built a garage. He let the upper storey, as it still is today. Various other small adjustments to the land around the house, including the purchase of the front section have given the house sufficient room to breath. The heritage significance of the house was subsequently recognised when the Thorndon placed a ‘Notable Houses’ plaque on the fence above the house on Frandi Street.
The significance of Tiakiwai lies in both its unusual (possibly unique) style and ornamentation, and for its association with Leonard Stowe. The house is comparatively little known but should be regarded as a Victorian treasure and, as an example of 19th century domestic architecture; it is as English in its origins as any Wellington house. The house’s rarity is matched by its age – it is among the older houses still surviving in Wellington – and by its association with an important government figure, Leonard Stowe. He was not well known to the general public but as the Clerk of Parliament he was a significant public servant and was knighted for his contribution. The house is his, as well as his family’s, legacy to the city.
Leonard Stowe (c.1837-1920) was born in Buckingham, England and was educated at Rugby. He immigrated to New Zealand in 1858 and first settled in Nelson, working on inland sheep stations. In 1864 he was appointed clerk to the Nelson Provincial Council and the following year he was appointed clerk to the Legislative Assembly and moved to Wellington. He kept that position for the rest of his working career. Stowe married Jane Greenwood of Nelson in 1871 and they had two daughters and two sons. In 1888 he was made examiner of Standing Orders on Private Bills and the following year he added the position of Clerk of Parliaments, the senior administrative position in Parliament.
Stowe acquired the land Tiakiwai sits on in a series of complicated land acquisitions that are described in considerably more detail in Appendix 1. In brief, Stowe’s estate was a conglomeration of four separate pieces of land, although in the complicated nature of 19th century land transactions it is quite likely that Stowe’s acquisition of some of his land preceded official recognition in title.
He acquired a lease on the south-eastern portion of section 83, in 1870, from Ewen McColl. The freehold came to Stowe three years later. A smaller portion of section 83 was sold to Stowe in 1878. This was part of land purchased by William Barnard Rhodes in 1845 and subsequently sold to Angus McLeod. The largest part of Stowe’s land was part of Section 660, a Maori Reserve, which was allocated in “exchange” for land in Hobson St (the site of the village of Tiakiwai) which was sold to W.M. Bannatyne. This land was owned by Taranaki Maori and leased and occupied in their absence by local Pakeha. Among them was Stowe who took over a 21 year lease, previously held by McColl, in 1885. Eight years earlier the owners sold the freehold reversion to William Halse and William Humphries of New Plymouth. Subsequently Halse and Humphries became bankrupt and eventually Stowe acquired the land. He received title in 1894. Stowe also acquired a small portion of section 659, also a Maori reserve, in 1878.
The exact age of the house is not known. It seems likely to have been built by or in 1870, the year that Stowe acquired the land that the house predominantly sits on, but other evidence, such as newspapers from the 1860s found on an inside wall, offers the possibility that the house was constructed a year or two earlier. It is also possible that the house was built by Ewen McColl, but not likely. Stowe did not marry until 1871 and the Wellington Almanac lists him as living in Pipitea Street until at least 1870. Interestingly the Almanac did not list him at his new address (in this case Grant Road) until 1875. Later directories listed the Stowes as living at, variously, Cottleville, Tinakori Road, Cottleville Terrace, 2 and 2a Tinakori Road and Stowe Hill. All were the same address.
When it was constructed, the house was a single storey structure, with the main axis of the house running north-south and a prominent gable facing east, towards the harbour. Within a decade or more the expanding Stowe household required more room for the family and a second storey was added to the house. It is not certain when this was added but it may have been in the early 1880s. It was certainly in place by the end of that decade. In the absence of plans and photographs it is impossible to know what the house appeared like on its west elevation. It is understood that the Stowes had a chapel at the southern end of the house.
The Stowes shared a legal boundary with James Cottle, who later gave his name to Cottleville Terrace. The nature of their relationship is not known but it may have been an occasionally difficult one if a dispute in 1906 is anything to go by. The Stowes and Cottle argued over the dumping of soil in the Pakuao Stream, which divided their properties and was later culverted.
Leonard Stowe was knighted on his retirement in 1913, by which time he was 76. He died in 1920. Jane Stowe died in 1931 at the age of 94. She had become locally known for her painting and she was still enjoying the hobby up until her death. An obituary described her as having lived “in a charmingly artistic home at the end of Tinakori Road, overlooking the harbour and Thorndon Station…”
The house was left to her son William Stowe and Henry Acland as executors. Having no need for the house and presumably recognising the value of the land, which was by then one of the few large, undivided sections in Thorndon, they began to subdivide the property. The first land sale was to the Wellington City Council, in January 1937, for the formation of what became the access road of Stowe Hill. The first section was sold to W.G. Turnbull the following month. Part of the legacy of that subdivision is the series of three storey apartments along the front of the Stowe’s land, the first of which was completed in 1938 or 1939.
In the interim Tiakiwai was let, but in 1939 it was sold to Nona Sutton, principal of her own placement agency, whose nephew was the Bishop of Nelson. She didn’t live there however and the house continued to be let to a variety of tenants. Peter Young understands that the house was actually condemned at some point during her tenure.
In 1951 the house was bought by fruiterer Kent Wong and he converted it into three flats – two on the ground floor and one above. An elevated walkway connected the upper storey with Frandi Street above. The conversion required the addition of some lean-tos to the house to provide enough space for three separate flats. During this time the house fell into disrepair and it gained some local notoriety, and occasional police attention, for the frequent weekend parties held there.
Stowe Hill residents, the Youngs, including Alex and Elsie and their son Peter, a solicitor, wanted to buy the place when it became available to prevent the flats from being used in a similar fashion in the future. The Youngs, as Stowe Holdings, made an offer as soon as Kent Wong died (in 1968) and it was accepted.
Initially it was intended to pull the house down, such was its apparent condition, but in the end the core of the house was thought salvageable. Peter Young managed a project of restoration and refurbishment and he hired architect, and later Mayor of Wellington, Michael Fowler, to design the changes, which included the removal of all the various lean-tos. In the absence of early plans, it was decided to try and estimate the appearance of the west elevation after the upper storey was added in the late 1800s. Some of the restoration of decorative features could only be undertaken from photographs. Much of the interior also had to be gutted, and a new kitchen was built on the west elevation. Work took place the same year the house was purchased – 1969 – and it was then let. One of the first occupants was Peter Young’s aunt.
In 1984 Peter Young, shortly before retiring, decided to move into the bottom storey of the house. At the same time he negotiated to purchase land at the south of the property to gain better vehicular access to the house and the following year he built a garage. He let the upper storey, as it still is today. Various other small adjustments to the land around the house, including the purchase of the front section have given the house sufficient room to breath. The heritage significance of the house was subsequently recognised when the Thorndon placed a ‘Notable Houses’ plaque on the fence above the house on Frandi Street.The significance of Tiakiwai lies in both its unusual (possibly unique) style and ornamentation, and for its association with Leonard Stowe. The house is comparatively little known but should be regarded as a Victorian treasure and, as an example of 19th century domestic architecture; it is as English in its origins as any Wellington house. The house’s rarity is matched by its age – it is among the older houses still surviving in Wellington – and by its association with an important government figure, Leonard Stowe. He was not well known to the general public but as the Clerk of Parliament he was a significant public servant and was knighted for his contribution. The house is his, as well as his family’s, legacy to the city.
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Modifications
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c.1870
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Construction
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c.1880
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Upper storey added to house.
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c.1940
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Lean-tos added to west elevation and house subdivided into three flats. Elevated walkway built to upper storey from Frandi St.
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1968 - 1969
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Lean-tos and walkway removed. House re-piled. West elevation designed and rebuilt from deductions and “guestimates”. Kitchen built on west elevation. Some decorative features reinstated on all elevations. Interior refurbished and new joinery installed. Courtyard laid on west side of the house. (Calder, Fowler and Styles)
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1985
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Alterations to south end rooms, ground floor. Alterations to south end rooms, ground floor. (Calder, Fowler, Styles and Turner)
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1986
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Garage built on south side of house.
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Occupation History
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c.1870 - 1933
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Leonard and Jane Stowe
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1933
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Various tenants (including Peter Young, from 1984)
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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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As originally constructed, the house was a timber framed and clad, single storey structure. It was aligned roughly north-south, gabled at both ends, with a gabled wing at the south end of the house facing east, towards the harbour. There may have been another on the northern end of the west elevation, although this might have been added later. There was also a lean-to glasshouse on the east elevation, which still exists although it is painted over. There were two brick chimneys and it is likely that the roof was shingled. The distinctive features of the house were, and remain, the bargeboard decoration and finials. The bargeboards, which are flared in an almost Oriental manner, have a panel of chevrons pointing inwards. The finials are elegantly shaped and open. It is unlikely that any other house in New Zealand has decorative features of this design.
The addition of a second storey in the 1880s saw the roof lifted and a new storey built on top of the ground floor; the bargeboards and finial decoration were retained. A staircase was installed within the house and, possibly, exterior access was also provided to the top floor. The staircase was blocked off, probably during the 1940s, and was later removed. Today the house probably conforms largely to its original footprint, with the only exception being a kitchen built on to the west elevation. The multi-pane sashes – double hung on the ground floor and casement above – are evenly arranged on each floor of each elevation. An outside staircase and balcony provides access to the upstairs flat from the courtyard on the west side. The upper storey rooms have coved board and batten ceilings - probably the original moved up one floor - and some original joinery, but otherwise little else of antiquity remains. The windows were apparently installed (deliberately) the wrong way up and are fixed, unusually, close to the floor level.
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Materials
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Timber Framing
Timber Cladding
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Setting
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The house sits in a well-established garden but is today surrounded by other houses and has just one interrupted view to the east. Nevertheless it has a remarkable presence amongst its newer neighbours and remains a potent and evocative reminder of Victorian Thorndon.
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Building Classification(s)
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Cultural Value
Tiakiwai was a small 1870s cottage that was substantially enlarged in the 1880s when a second storey was added. It is an unusual example of a substantial 19th century gentleman’s residence, and can be described as English Domestic Revival in style. It is notable for its distinctive barge and finial decorative details.
Tiakiwai has been a place of residence in Thorndon since circa 1870, most notably for its first upper middle-class owners, Sir Leonard Stowe and his wife Jane.
Still standing after almost 150 years, the house makes a strong contribution to a sense of continuity for the suburb of Thorndon.
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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?
Tiakiwai was a small 1870s cottage that was substantially enlarged in the 1880s when a second storey was added. It is an unusual example of a substantial 19th century gentleman’s residence, and can be described as English Domestic Revival in style. It is notable for its distinctive barge and finial decorative details.
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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
The house has a typical or representative history of a large north Thorndon house. It was built as a small cottage, and was enlarged to create a large residence for an upper middle class family. The house was later subdivided into flats, fell into disrepair in the mid-20th century. It was ‘rescued’ and renovated in the late 20th century at a time when Thorndon became gentrified.
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Association
Is the item associated with an important person, group, or organisation?
Tiakiwai is closely associated with the Stowe family who owned the house for over 60 years. Leonard Stowe was a long-serving public servant who rose to the position of Clerk of Parliaments, and his wife Jane was a well known local artist. Peter Young, who rescued the house from ruin, is part of a long-standing Wellington legal family and an authority on north Thorndon history.
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Scientific Value
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Archaeological
Does the item have archaeological value for its ability to provide scientific information about past human activity?
Tiakiwai may be deemed to be part of an archaeological site under the Historic Places Act (1993) due to the presence of pre 1900 buildings. In addition, the house is located very close to several Maori sites of significance.
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Technological
Does the item have technological value for its innovative or important construction methods or use of materials?
A house of this age is likely to contain some features of technological interest. Of particular interest is likely to be the timber construction technology evident in the framing, as well as some joinery. This technology is likely to be rare rather than unique.
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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?
Tiakiwai has been a place of residence in Thorndon since circa 1870, notably for its first upper middle-class owners, Sir Leonard Stowe and his wife Jane. Still standing after almost 150 years, the house makes a strong contribution to a sense of continuity for the suburb of Thorndon.
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Public Esteem
Is the item held in high public esteem?
Tiakiwai is recognised as a ‘Notable House’ by the Thorndon Society, indicating that the house is held in high public esteem.
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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?
Although the external appearance of the house has been much altered over the years, substantial areas of early or original fabric have been preserved. These include the ground floor framing and cladding, and some of the ground floor layout and room arrangements. Notwithstanding these alterations, the house retains much of its Victorian form and appearance.
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Rare
Is the item rare, unique, unusual, seminal, influential, or outstanding?
Tiakiwai is a rare surviving example of an early Wellington cottage/house
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Importance
Is the item important for any of the above characteristics at a local, regional, national, or international level?
Tiakiwai is important at a local level.
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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
18/ 467
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Legal Description
Lot 1 DP 438446
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Heritage New Zealand Listed
Not listed
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Archaeological Site
Pre-1900 building Maori site of significance
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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 and Chris Cochrane ‘6A Frandi Street (Tiakiwai): Heritage Assessment for Wellington City Council’, January 2002
- NZ Biog. 1956 Vol.2 p.6, Alexander Turnbull Library
- Pers. comm. Peter Young to the author (Michael Kelly), Nov-Dec, 2001
- Wellington Almanac 1871, 1875 John McKenzie
- Wellington Almanac 1876-1894 and Stones Directories: Wellington, 1894-95-
- Young, Peter, ‘Title History of Tiakiwai’, unpublished historic research (2001)
- Criteria for assessing cultural heritage significance
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Technical Documentation
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Not available
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Footnotes
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Not available
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Sources
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Last updated: 11/27/2016 9:32:03 PM