DISTRICT PLAN –LISTED HERITAGE PLACE HERITAGE ASSESSMENT – STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE HERITAGE ITEM NUMBER 398 FORMER GROSVENOR HOTEL AND SETTING – 367 MOORHOUSE AVENUE,

PHOTOGRAPH: M.VAIR-PIOVA, 15/12/2014

HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE Historical and social values that demonstrate or are associated with: a particular person, group, organisation, institution, event, phase or activity; the continuity and/or change of a phase or activity; social, historical, traditional, economic, political or other patterns.

The former Grosvenor Hotel has historical and social significance as one of the oldest remaining (former) hotel buildings in Christchurch and as evidence of the former history of Moorhouse Avenue as a busy transport hub and industrial area. Moorhouse Avenue gradually grew in importance after the establishment of Christchurch's railway station there in the early 1860s, but it was following the completion of the Main Trunk line, to Timaru and then Dunedin in the late 1870s, that this area of the city really developed. A number of hotels were soon established to cater for travellers and local workers, including the Grosvenor, Crown, Terminus and Railway.

The Grosvenor opened in November 1877. The first stage of the hotel built for proprietor John Mumford (1843-85) was erected in timber in 1877 and then a large extension in brick was added in 1878, both to a design of architect Samuel Farr. Mumford had established his hostelry in 1877 when he gained a wine and beer licence for his confectioner's shop on the opposite corner of Madras Street. A full hotel license was obtained for the new premises in 1878. Mumford sold the hotel to Daniel Bryant in 1880. Bryant died at his hotel seven years

Page 1 later. Although the licensees of the hotel changed frequently, the building was owned by Louise Cross and her family for more than fifty years until the late 1960s. Because of its proximity to the railway, the hotel was the favoured railway workers' pub for many years. The decline of rail travel and the closing of the railway station in the 1990s, and the departure of traditional industries from the area eventually saw the closure of the Grosvenor in the early 2000s. By the late 2000s the hotel had been vacant for some time and was at risk of demolition. Extensively renovations in 2010 secured the building’s future and ensured that it survived the 2010/2011 Canterbury Earthquakes. Currently the building is in mixed commercial and hospitality use.

CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE Cultural and spiritual values that demonstrate or are associated with the distinctive characteristics of a way of life, philosophy, tradition, religion, or other belief, including: the symbolic or commemorative value of the place; significance to Tangata Whenua; and/or associations with an identifiable group and esteemed by this group for its cultural values.

The former Grosvenor Hotel has cultural significance as evidence of the importance of hotels as centres of sociability and community life in New Zealand from the 19th century until the present day. Historically the Grosvenor was a railway workers' pub and was esteemed by this occupational group. In the 1950's the hotel was popularly known as the Green Hornet, for its colour and after the railwaymen's cricket team (The Hornets) that regularly socialised there. The closure of the hotel in c.2000 reflected changes in New Zealand culture, particularly its drinking culture, over the previous twenty years. These changes saw the closure of many traditional hotels.

ARCHITECTURAL AND AESTHETIC SIGNIFICANCE Architectural and aesthetic values that demonstrate or are associated with: a particular style, period or designer, design values, form, scale, colour, texture and material of the place.

The former Grosvenor Hotel has architectural and aesthetic significance as an early masonry commercial classical building by pioneering Canterbury architect Samuel Farr. In the late 1870s, masonry buildings had begun to replace the diminutive timber buildings that had hitherto been ubiquitous in Christchurch's central city. The architect of a number of these buildings was Samuel Farr. Farr arrived in Canterbury in 1850, and worked as a builder in for thirteen years before moving to Christchurch in 1863 and advertising his services as an architect. His buildings were conventional in plan and ornamentation, but Farr was versatile and gained a reputation for giving value for money. Consequently the architect built a solid practice designing a wide variety of workman-like commercial, religious, institutional and domestic buildings. Other early Farr commercial buildings include Montgomery's Building on Colombo Street (1876) and Coker's Hotel on Manchester Street (1879).

The former Grosvenor Hotel incorporates many features common to Farr's commercial buildings, such as segmental-arched windows with prominent architraves, and a heavily corbelled parapet incorporating his favourite circular motif. The large segmental pediments above the door cases on the corner and Moorhouse Avenue frontages are particular to this building however. The hotel was originally intended to be larger, with an extension down Madras Street. The interior has been significantly altered, but much of the exterior retains a high degree of integrity.

In 2010, the single storey annex abutting the north and east sides of the hotel was demolished, with a new timber wall being erected on the north side adjacent to Madras Street, the concrete roof was replaced with a lightweight corrugated iron roof, structural steel

Page 2 reinforcing was added to exterior masonry brick walls, and new interior concrete block and timber walls were constructed. Further interior alterations occurred in 2011 when part of the building was fitted out for a kitchen, while in 2012 a kitchen addition was made to the northeast corner of the building. This addition was constructed from Graphex (graphite composite) cladding, with a corrugated iron roof.

TECHNOLOGICAL AND CRAFTSMANSHIP SIGNIFICANCE Technological and craftsmanship values that demonstrate or are associated with: the nature and use of materials, finishes and/or technological or constructional methods which were innovative, or of notable quality for the period.

The former Grosvenor Hotel has technological and craftsmanship significance as one of Christchurch's remaining 1870s brick commercial buildings. The survival of the building, which demonstrates typical construction and architectural detailing practises of the period, has taken on greater importance since the loss of many unreinforced masonry in the aftermath of the 2010-2011 earthquakes.

CONTEXTUAL SIGNIFICANCE Contextual values that demonstrate or are associated with: a relationship to the environment (constructed and natural), a landscape, setting, group, precinct or streetscape; a degree of consistency in terms of type, scale, form, materials, texture, colour, style and/or detail; recognised landmarks and landscape which are recognised and contribute to the unique identity of the environment.

The former Grosvenor Hotel is of contextual significance for its corner location on a small site at the eastern corner of Madras Street and Moorhouse Avenue. The setting consists of the footprint of the building and a small area of carpark at the side and rear. Typical of traditional hotel buildings, the Grosvenor was built on a prominent corner site to maximise its exposure to potential patrons. Consequently the building remains a significant Moorhouse Avenue landmark today. The wider area has undergone significant urban renewal in recent decades, and little of the hotel’s historic context remains. The former hotel is surrounded by buildings of the CPIT campus.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE Archaeological or scientific values that demonstrate or are associated with: the potential to provide information through physical or scientific evidence an understanding about social historical, cultural, spiritual, technological or other values of past events, activities, structures or people.

The former Grosvenor Hotel and its setting are of archaeological significance because they have the potential to provide archaeological evidence relating to past building construction methods and materials, and human activity on the site, including that which occurred before 1900.

ASSESSMENT STATEMENT

The former Grosvenor Hotel has overall significance to Christchurch, including . The hotel has historical and social significance for its construction in two stages in the late 1870s as a hotel and its association with the development of Moorhouse Avenue. The building has some cultural significance for its demonstration of the way of life of hotel proprietors and patrons for a century and particular association with the railway workers who

Page 3 used to frequent this pub. The former Grosvenor Hotel has architectural significance as a surviving example of Samuel Farr’s commercial classical style and technological and craftsmanship significance for its brick masonry construction and plastered exterior. The building has contextual significance as a landmark building on a major central city thoroughfare and archaeological significance in view of the pre-1900 development of the site.

REFERENCES:

CCC Heritage File Grosvenor Hotel: 367 Moorhouse Avenue

Pam Wilson ‘The Architecture of Samuel Charles Farr 1827-1918’ MA thesis, 1982 https://poddimok.wordpress.com/087-the-watering-holes-an-historical-essay/grosvenor-hotel/ http://www.christchurchcivictrust.org.nz/awards/2011-awards/

REPORT DATED: 6 FEBRUARY 2015

PLEASE NOTE THIS ASSESSMENT IS BASED ON INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF WRITING.DUE TO THE ONGOING NATURE OF HERITAGE RESEARCH, FUTURE REASSESSMENT OF THIS HERITAGE ITEM MAY BE NECESSARY TO REFLECT ANY CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF ITS HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE.

PLEASE USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CCC HERITAGE FILES.

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