The brick terrace house was emblematic of Victorian Britain, produced in vast numbers to house a burgeoning urban population. Today it is still the most significant element of the British urban environment.

In 1869 bricklayer Frank Hathaway Hitchings (1843-1920), his wife, and two children emigrated from Blackheath in London to Christchurch. Initially renting in Montreal St, by 1876 Hitchings had purchased a block in Durham St where he built a brick house at no. 63. When his family expanded (he eventually had eight children), he built a bigger four-bedroom brick house at 69 Durham St. Hitchings then filled the gap between the two houses by building nos. 65 and 67. This block of terrace houses he called 'Blackheath Place'. Then in 1886 Hitchings built the more elaborate nos. 71, 73, and 75. These three houses were joined to the original terrace by an upstairs bedroom and archway giving access to the large backyard. Nos. 77, 79 and 81 were erected to the north soon after under Frank's supervision, by son Richard as part of his brick-laying apprenticeship. (Note the change in the roofline between the two pair of three dwellings which marks the group built by Richard, photo p.8.) Hitching's sons eventually joined their father as bricklayers.

Although Hitching's ten houses were of good quality, it is thought that the Sydenham Borough Council did not consider terraced housing to be appropriate in New Zealand. Believing that immigrants should have the opportunity to live in individual homes on separate plots of land, local authorities tended to discourage this sort of housing. Consequently few terraces were built in Christchurch. The well-built houses of Blackheath however appear to have been popular with tenants, who enjoyed the communal spirit that such close living engendered.

All but three of the Blackheath houses remained in the Hitchings family until 1983, when they were put on the market. By this time much of Sydenham had changed from working class suburb to a commercial and industrial area. The whole of Blackheath was purchased in 1984 by property developer Gerald Cresswell, who, with architect Robert Jamieson converted nos.71-81 for use as commercial premises. Each house was converted into a suite of three offices and a showroom. As many original features as possible were retained, particularly with regard to the street facades. Nos 77-81 are considered to be particularly original. However, the rear service area of each house has been demolished and rebuilt. The older block at nos. 63-69 was completely demolished in 1985 and replicated in similar form, with an extension onto Wordsworth St. The original brick and wrought iron fence was also removed.

In 1991 a further L-shaped wing was built in a complementary style on adjoining land. Chimneys were rebuilt on the 1886 block in 1995.