BUILDING EVOLUTION

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 79, 2 March 1927, Page 7

BUILDING EVOLUTION

WHARE TO FERRO CONCRETE. MODERN CITY REPLACES PRIMITIVE SETTLEMENT. Measured by years it is not a far ory to the days of the primitive settlement of Palmerston North, but measured in terms of architecture the progress that has been made is remarkable. A drawback to the development of any young country is finance and, though this fact was reflected in the first buildings, such is the faith of business enterprise that to-day many modem buildings are rearing their stately heads above the Square surroundings. Records of the early days of the settlement show that the first buildings were of necessity of a primitive nature. being just prior to 1868 manuka or slab wnares and one-storey structures providing the bare comforts of a dwelling or store as the case may be. Broadly speaking the evolution of building in the town may be described as having taken place in four stages — the rough primitive dwellings and stores of the first settlers; then the one or two storey wooden buildings of the subsequent business and residential areas, later the brick buildings, and to-day the modern ferro-cqncrete structures which are a feature of the municipality in the business area, while for residences, though timber is stUl so largely used, brick and roughcast dwellings lend a modern atmosphere to the town. Taking the Post Office as an example up to the brick era, a photograph of the building which did duty in this connection in 1877 shows that it was a one-storey structure with thatched roof, apparently with a door at each end of the frontage and two windows in the middle, the old-fashioned verandah being built on the front. The building stood on the Government reserve next to, where Coles’ Buildings are to-day located. The site facing Main Street had two windows close together and bore the inscription "Post Office” and "Telegraph Station.” In later years the Post Office site was changed to the present one and most residents will remember the more advanced, but still somewhat severe type of wooden building which for many years served the department until its replacement by a more modern brick building which, as time passed by, was enlarged, and to-day is having a modern wing added.

THE FIRE GOD. It is interesting to note from "Old Manawatu” that the Square was completely formed in 1877 and that there was a fine array of shops facing it. Thus had the primitive structures practically disappeared and the building foundations of the new township laid in more permanent fashion. In the course of time these structures themselves, having served their purpose admirably and well, were gradually replaced by the more pretentious wooden structure that the present generation knows. Many of the early buildings met with demolition at the hands of the fire god, while quite a number of the later ones suffered a similar fate. Fires, in fact, did quite a lot of damage in the wooden building era, for tne dry timbers provided inflammable material for the flames once they obtained a firm hold. One of the largest conflagrations was that which destroyed the old Clarendon Hotel and adjoining block of buildings in the Square and in Rangitikei Street. The fire, which commenced either before or just after midnight, raged for a number of hours and so quickly did -the flames spread that very soon a largo area was encompassed. Another fire which made way for a handsome addition to the architectural features of the town was the one which gutted the old Provincial Hotel at about five o’clock off a summer morning. Other fires also paved the way for the modern type of building, though when another hotel was destroyed a wooden building replaced it. To-day several of the wooden structures which followed the earlier ones are still to be seen in the Square and immediate vicinity, but they are gradually being replaced by brick and ferro-concrete premises.

BUILDING FIGURES. The building figures of the municipality reflect the steady progress which is being made in this connection in more recent years. Fifteen years ago the value of the permits issued in the building year, which ends on March 3lßt, was £64,463. The outlay for the twelve months ended on March 31st of last year was £298,496, a record for the municipality. In the decade ended on March 31st last the sum of £1,634,129 was expended on buildings, the majority of which are of magnificent type. Figures which tell the story in recent years of Palmerston North’s growth are as follow, the building year in each case ending on March 31st: — Year. Value of Permits.

CALENDAR YEAR COMPARISON. A comparison of the values of building permits issued for 1924, 1925 and 1926 on a calendar year basis as distinct from the building year is as follows: 1924. Value Total value Month houses of houses permits. £ £

Totals 181 159,544 220,767 1925. Value Total value

Totals 220 . 201,955 287,719

1911-12 m IN M* £ 64,463 1912-13 M • •• 73,784 1913-14 fc»« 78,303 1914-15 mmm •a. 93,690 1915-16 IH 1 •** K»4 80,811 1916-17 K»4 73,423 1917-18 M* 36,110 1918-19 •Ml Hai 60,085 1919-20 ► ••i 148,659 1920-21 • ••, M M* 224,262 1921-22 fc.a 146,144 1922-23 • *« u. 168,171 1923-24 IU4 227,513 1924-25 Mt 261,267 1925-26 ... M* r** 298.495

January ... 22 20,606 27,609 10s February 20 18,646 21,507 March 14 10,690 13,017 April 18 16,923 18,667 May 17 14,646 20,975 June 9 6,822 9,038 July 20 19,868 25,924 August ... 11 8,020 10,371 September 16 13,626 19,225 October 17 16,000 18,461 November 10 8,900 17,507 10s December 7 6,100 18,465

Month houses of houses permits. ' £ £ January . ... 13 9,345 15,001 February 21 24,855 52,295 March ... 18 15,284 24,970 15s April May ... 14 11,330 16,046 5s ... 18 15,039 18,317

June 22 J uly iwnit 17 August >.« 18 September 14 October >M 17 November 14 December 14 19.666 18.666 16,484 16,844 13,340 17,427 11,816 21,719 83,374 42,106 28,230 20,980 36,639 16,861 Totals 200 189,086 326,439 1926. Value Total value Month houses of houses permits £ £ January .. . 19 16,610 16,790 February 18 19,408 21,701 March F<< 24 21,049 24,832 April *»•»+« 19 19,071 22,488 May . 17 13,762 17,097 June . 18 16.605 22,539 July . 16 12,860 17,612 August . 21 22,016 56,081 September 21 16,859 23,598 October . 13 11,681\ 17,699 November 18 18,090 20,744 December 17 16,055 26,538