No. 44 Oxford Terrace

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31724, 6 July 1968, Page 5

No. 44 Oxford Terrace

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

In 1851 the Canterbury Association granted land to Thomas Cass, surveyor, which included a section on the corner of Oxford Terrace and Montreal Street.

In 1853 John Barclay Thomson bought it, making it over to his wife, Margaret, “to do with, as she pleases.” She remarried and died in 1880, but there appears to have been some odd tie-up, for Duncan Pearson, lodged a disclaimer in 1872. However, in 1881, the property, which ran to Tuam Street, was bought by Edward Mitchell, who leased it for two years, to William and Fred Birdling. After Mitchell's death in 1886, his heirs were F. M. Warren and W. Schmidt, and

in 1889 the property was bought by F. H. Barker and E. B. Cox, who 10 years later sold it to Frederick Williams, a baker. He retained it until 1928 and sold it to John Wilson, from whose widow, C. L. Rhodes bought it in 1950. James A. Slater bought it in 1967. Probably built in the eighties, by either Thomson or Mitchell, it is very well designed in a classical manner, using timber to simulate stone forms. The strong horizontals of the string course and eaves, representing entablutures, have rich shadow ' effects pleasantly countered by the applied pilaster treatment. These, by the way, are single planks of kauri.

Within this framework are placed, on the ground floor,

arcaded and flat topped shop windows with carefully considered mullions and attractive panelled doors, and on the first floor there are pairs of double-hung windows crowned with well detailed hoods supported on moulded brackets.

The eaves show the typical bracket treatment of the times and add a touch of gaiety to the whole concept. Recently the arcaded windows to the corner unit were divided up into small squares, and this has detracted from their original scale, yet internally the effect is quite pleasant. Further extensive alterations to the interior have been carried out by the present owner, opening up the building yet retaining the intentions of the original designer.