PIONEERS' HOMES—VI 122 North Road, Kaiapoi

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32975, 22 July 1972, Page 12

PIONEERS ' HOMES—VI 122 North Road, Kaiapoi

(By

J. A. HENDRY, F.N.Z.1.A.)

A Crown grant of Rural Section 338 E, located in Kaiapoi, was made in 1856 to the Church Property Tinstees who five years later, in 1861, sold it to Charles Sidey.

A few months later the whole property was bought by the Rhodes Brothers, of Purau, who within a year began to sell portions off. George Haskell bought the present property of one acre or so on which he built this attractive two storey house. Haskell died in 1873, his widow Elizabeth inheriting, and she continued to live there until her death, when a granddaughter. Miss Elizabeth Gough, inherited in 1910.

For the next 52 years it remained in the family until in 1962—100 years after Haskell bought the land—the property was sold by Mrs N. Reddy to I. W. Sutherland who kept it for three years, selling to R. J. Vickery. In 1966 the present owners, Mr and Mrs J. S. P. Palmer, bought it. Built in solid brick with a slate roof this attractive gabled house, now painted white with a grey trim, has a very neat plan which does not appear to have been materially altered over the years excepting the kitchen which would now delight any woman’s heart. The sketch shows the quiet elegance of simple proportions and the equally simple decorative treatment achieved in the quoining to the angles of the building and window surrounds, together with the keystones

and narrow string course. (A note of whimsy is introduced by the small gabled entrance porch and hood which nestle snugly into the angle formed by the projecting two storey gable end. On entering the house we come into a small square hall—mainly the porch—off which rise the stairs with, to the left, the living-room running the full depth of the house and opening into the conservatory through glass doors —a recent addition. A trim-panelled dado built out from the wall, deep splayed reveals to the window, and a neat modem fire surround, give a pleasant atmosphere to the room. Next comes the drawing room lit by the two windows of the central bay and here, too, is the dado treatment with cupboards and China cabinets flanking the original timber surround to the black iron register grate. Directly behind this pleasant square room lies the large kitchen. Off both kitchen and drawing room is the dining-room which, similar to the living room, runs the full depth of the house, has a dado and deeply splayed windows but also retains the original fireplace.

On the first floor are four good-sized bedrooms and a very attractive bathroom, all with low sloping ceilings of interesting shapes caused by the intersecting gables. The redecoration by the present owners has been done sympathetically, using suitably patterned wallpapers, white paint and comfortable period and modem furniture of a scale to suit the house, with a charming result.