DISTRICT PLAN –LISTED HERITAGE PLACE HERITAGE ASSESSMENT – STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE HERITAGE ITEM NUMBER 467 DWELLING AND SETTING,THE HOLLIES – 188 RICHARDSON TERRACE / 67E VINCENT PLACE,CHRISTCHURCH PHOTOGRAPH: G. WRIGHT, 2012 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 dwelling known as The Hollies has historical and social significance as an early colonial stone house built by Edward Richardson who, with George Holmes, was responsible for overseeing the completion of the Lyttelton rail tunnel. Richardson was born in England where he trained as a civil and mechanical engineer. In 1852 he immigrated to Australia where he went into partnership with Holmes in 1855. In 1861 Holmes and Company was contracted by the Canterbury Provincial Government to complete the Lyttelton rail tunnel, the previous contractors having pulled out after striking hard rock in the tunnel. In 1863 the Ferrymead railway was completed and the tunnel was completed in 1867. The construction of this railway was arguably the country's first, and the construction of the tunnel was the most significant public works project of early colonial New Zealand. The land on which Richardson built his house was part of the Opawa Farm. Richardson and Holmes purchased an acre bordered by the new Ferrymead railway and the Heathcote River in 1864. In 1871 Richardson purchased Holmes' share and then purchased 13 acres Page 1 adjacent to the property. The Hollies was begun in 1871 and was reportedly built of stone from the tunnel excavations. The large house, which originally sat on 14 acres of land, embodies the wealth and social standing of a prominent Canterbury figure who became a Member of the Canterbury Provincial Council, an MP for Christchurch West and who was knighted for his achievements. In spite of the considerable wealth and business interests Richardson had accrued in Canterbury, the depression of the 1880s had a significant impact and prompted him to begin subdividing The Hollies property from 1882. Then in 1889 the Bank of New Zealand repossessed property owned by Richardson totalling 15,000 acres. In 1891 the Hollies and two acres was sold to John Campbell with the remaining seven acres being subdivided by the bank. Campbell had developed a large farming business, shipping his fattened stock at a rate of 6000 - 7000 frozen lambs annually by the late 1880s. In 1902 Campbell sold to William Minson, ironmonger. Minson established a homeware store, Minsons, which became an institution in Christchurch. The original business survived until 1989 and then continued under different ownership for another 10 years. Minson sold the property a year after purchasing it but it returned to his family in 1922 when his son Arthur Minson purchased The Hollies and remained there for nearly 20 years. The house subsequently changed hands several times with owners including architect Paddy Helmore and his wife Joy, and University of Canterbury law lecturer David Round. In 1989 two units were built on the property in order to fund the restoration of the house that has been an ongoing project for various owners. 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 Hollies has cultural significance as an example of a Victorian professional and political couple’s suburban residence. The size of the dwelling and the range of rooms it contains reflect the way of life of its residents. 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 dwelling known as The Hollies was built in 1871 and has architectural and aesthetic significance as an early colonial villa with both classical and Carpenter Gothic elements. The dwelling exhibits Australian architectural characteristics of the period including the sweeping verandas and the fact that for a large house it is predominantly single storeyed. As a large stone villa it does not conform in either plan or decoration with other large villas of the period. The use of stone is unusual in Christchurch where most large villa styled houses were built of timber, especially at this early date. It is believed Richardson obtained the stone from the excavation of the Lyttelton tunnel. The use of stone was more typical in Australia than New Zealand. The street elevation of the house features two gables with box bay windows and fretted bargeboards. The central block of the house features a concave return veranda with the northern facade featuring an unusual triple gable that was originally highly ornamented. The turned veranda posts remain, however the original scalloped and arched bargeboards, and veranda detailing of intricate carved wood, has since been removed. An early photo of Page 2 the house reveals a building that is picturesque in the arrangement of its forms and detailing, true to its Victorian context. The dwelling sustained damage in the 2010/2011 Christchurch earthquakes and the scope of repair work is yet to be determined. 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 dwelling has technological and craftsmanship significance due to its early colonial masonry construction and decorative detailing. The main parts of the house are constructed of randomly laid stone with brick trimmed openings. The interior walls and those of the billiard room are constructed of brick. The exterior of the building has quoins and is covered with a cement plaster, incised to resemble stone. The decorative fretted bargeboards on the eastern facade of the building remain in place. The predominant roofing material is slate with corrugated iron on the veranda. Leadlight windows feature in the fanlights of the sash windows on the street front facade. 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 dwelling known as The Hollies and its setting has contextual significance as a large colonial domestic building in the well-established riverside suburb of Opawa. Throughout the 19th century Opawa remained largely rural in character, however clusters of larger houses belonging to professionals, merchants and run holders did develop outside of the central city during the first three decades of Christchurch’s foundation. Opawa was well wooded and substantial houses were built on large sections. The Hollies, which originally sat on 14 acres of land, was a good example of this, as was the nearby listed Risingholme (1864), the grounds of which were later donated to the city as a park, and Fifield (1870), also listed, which retains a large section in Hawford Street. The setting of The Hollies consists of the listed building in a well-established garden setting. The building sits relatively close to the eastern boundary facing the Heathcote River over Richardson Terrace (named for John Richardson, the first mayor of Woolston) .The northern boundary of the property is adjacent to the green space adjacent to the Brougham Street expressway. On the western side of the house two units have been constructed within the setting of the house, facing Vincent Street. The house has landmark status in the area due to its visibility and architectural character. 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 Page 3 historical, cultural, spiritual, technological or other values of past events, activities, structures or people. The dwelling known as The Hollies and its setting have 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 prior to 1900. None of the timber outbuildings originally on the site have survived above ground level. ASSESSMENT STATEMENT The dwelling known as The Hollies and its setting has overall heritage significance to Christchurch, including Banks Peninsula. The Hollies has historical and social significance for its association with the Richardson, Campbell and Minson families. The dwelling has cultural significance as a demonstration of the way of life of its former residents. The house has architectural and aesthetic significance as an early colonial