HOMES OF THE PIONEERS "Thornycroft”, Fendalton

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30823, 7 August 1965, Page 5

HOMES OF THE PIONEERS "Thornycroft”, Fendalton

(Specially written for “The Press” by JOHN A. HENDRY, F.N.Z.1.A.)

r T'HE land on which “Thornycroft” in Thornycroft street, Fendalton, stands is divided by the Wairarapa, or as it is called in old deeds references —“Wairercpa” stream, and is part of Rural Sections 60 and 188.

To the west of the stream lay R.S. 60 which was a Crown grant to W. Guise Brittan and a matter of sale to several others until it was bought in 1891 by Mrs George Humphreys.

Rural section 188 to the east was granted to Thomas Parr, of Waddington. England, early in 1858 and given six months later to his son-in-law, Charles Jeffreys, who gave his name to Jeffreys road.

In 1883 before returning to England he sold four sections to George Humphreys, who built the house, selling it in 1899 to Henry Cotteriil. In 1903, George Gerard of Snowdon, Rakaia Gorge, bought it and after buying more land had Thornycroft street surveyed and sold off various sections. In 1940. the house and an acre or so of land was sold to Mrs M. I. Marshall. Since then there have been several owners and now the house has been turned into flats. From the sketch one gains! a very good impression of this'

! home with its many rooms, 1 high stud and “Gothic” detail, i Here again are the bold hoods to the windows, repeated in ■ different forms to the bay windows. with their strong shadows, all contrasting well with the largish wall spaces and similar to those seen on St. Mark's vicarage. One detail used here and noted before is the use of the string course at first floor level, dividing the wall height and thereby apparently lengthening the building. This stress again occurs in the eaves treatment with the shaped brackets supplying a pleasant rhythm. The large projecting porch on the east front contains a delightful door in the Gothic manner and two arched windows filled with stained glass, this latter a concert which re-

peats in various parts of the house as can be seen from the sketch.

The general design becomes somewhat restless to the north and north-east, for here are concentrated all the cliches of the day—bay windows, verandas and brackets. Yet the result is not unpleasing.

A departure from previous trends shows in the boxing in of the double chimney to the corner bay, a feature which is quite striking with the bold emphasis of outside linings, string course cornice and roof treatment. The gable, too, is effective and curiously wrought to form stops for the projecting eaves ' beyond cantilevered from the wall by a tapered base finishing in a boss, is a small bay window to the first floor quite a charming effect and displaying considerable skill in detail and construction.

The double bay windows to the north are notable for their solid construction and

hint of Gothic detail while the differing treatments of the projecting eaves to the two floors are interesting due to the use of bold shaped brackets. Perhaps one of the best individual features is the projecting porch beyond these windows, quite delightful and rather whimsical. The proportions are pleasant and with its shingled roof, quaint finial and open trussed roof it is quite elegant. Above it is an open veranda with a wooden balustrade in the Chinese Chippendale manner and reminiscent of “Ohinetahi” at Governors Bay. Internally, of course, the house lives up to its promise of grandeur, the halls, stairs, and main rooms being large with tall windows, heavily moulded architraves and skirtings and a very high stud. The stairs are pleasant, and carved out in stained and polished wood while in the hall is a quite charming polished timber fire-surround.