New Plymouth Buildings
The architectural make-up of New Plymouth since European settlement stretches from the early cottages of the1840s to the shiny steel-plated exterior of the planned Len Lye Centre. In between has come the transition from timber buildings to concrete, the art deco of the 1930s and the modernism of the 1960s. While a few private residences remain from the early days of European settlement, the Central Business District looks nothing like early paintings and photos. The early wooden buildings have mostly been demolished or destroyed by fire to be replaced by larger reinforced concrete premises. Both commercial and domestic buildings feature in this topic, which can be searched either by the age of the building or its location.
If you would like to contribute to this basket you are welcome to register and add items yourself or contact the staff in the Taranaki Research Centre at Puke Ariki.
Click here to access the full listing of the buildings we have up loaded so far.
Click on a street below to search by location:
- Ariki Street
- Aubrey Street
- Autere Street
- Barrett Street
- Belt Road
- Bracken Street
- Breakwater Road
- Brougham Street
- Brown Street
- Cameron Street
- Carrington Street
- Coronation Avenue
- Courtenay Street
- Cowling Road
- Currie Street
- Cutfield Street
- Dawson Street
- Devon Street East
- Devon Street West
- Downe Street
- Egmont Street
- Eliot Street
- Gill Street
- Gover Street
- Hine Street
- Hobson Street
- King Street
- Leach Street
- Lemon Street
- Liardet Street
- Mangorei Road
- Maranui Street
- Molesworth Street
- Ngamotu Road
- Omata Road
- Pendarves Street
- Powderham Street
- Queen Street
- Robe Street
- Silver Street
- St Aubyn Street
- Standish Street
- Tisch Avenue
- Tukapa Street
- Victoria Road
- Vivian Street
- Wallace Place
- Wallath Road
- Weymouth Street
- Wharf Street
- Whiteley Street
- Young Street
Latest 5 topics
This building was erected in 1966 for Mr & Mrs A. Hartley. The original plans indicate the coffee lounge (Aladdins) was on the ground floor and offices were located on the upper level.
A building permit was issued on 26 September 1966, with an estimated cost of £14,000. The architect was Edgar T.Collins and the contractors were H.F.Snowden Construction.
Later the building became the retail outlet, 'Ski & Sports Centre'. In 2016 the architects, Boon, Goldsmith Bhasker Brebner designed new office premises in the space for the
This villa, which was located on Victoria Road, was built in 1909 for the New Plymouth businessman, Mr. Christopher Carter. It was designed by Frank Messenger and the contract price was £594.00.
The house was 'modernised' in the 1950s, but later these changes were largely removed and more traditional alterations completed by the architect, Paul Goldsmith.
The house was moved off the site in March 2017 and shifted to a lifestyle block at Burgess Park.
This building was erected for the firm H.H.Simpson Ltd. A permit was issued on 24 July 1950 to Mr Hector Henry Simpson for a 'foundry workshop' in King Street - Lot 11 DP1485. The estimated cost was £3,400 and the contractors were Roebuck Construction Ltd.
More recently the workshop has been occupied by Rylock Aluminium.
It was demolished in late February, 2017.
This building was located on the corner of Powderham and Silver Streets - about where the entrance is to the present New Plymouth Courthouse. When it was demolished in 1961 it was said to be one of the oldest houses in New Plymouth.
The name comes from its reputation gained during the Taranaki Wars, when it was apparently used as a 'grog shop' by the Imperial regiments. It was later occupied by the stonemason, Phillip Moon, grandfather of long-time Taranaki Herald employee, Hercules Moon.
For many years the Department of Justice had owned land in the area and as
A permit for this two-storey building was issued on 11 March 1925. Although the architect is not noted in the register it's likely the firm Messenger, Griffiths & Taylor were responsible. They designed the companion building which was built a little later on Devon Street East (see linked topic).
The builders were Julian & Sons and the estimated cost was £2,250.
On 11 July 2017 the building was sealed off by the New Plymouth District Council after inspections revealed "gravity column damage". The laneway next to the building has
