Christ’s College Jacobs House, constructed in 1930 as a boarding house to the design of noted inter-war architect Cecil Wood, makes an important contribution to the historic collegiate grouping, harmonising with the older buildings to create an atmosphere of scholasticism and tradition at the college. Named after the Reverend Henry Jacobs, the college’s first Headmaster (1850-1863) and later Dean of Christchurch, the building has historical, social, architectural and aesthetic significance. An integral component of the Canterbury Association settlement, Christ’s College is the oldest school in Christchurch, and was modelled on the public schools of England. Founded in 1850, it relocated from Lyttelton to Christchurch in 1852 and was established on its present Rolleston Avenue site in 1856. Buildings at the site include student and staff accommodation, with the house system being a key component. By the late 1920s boarding accommodation was past capacity and the college accepted architect Cecil Wood’s design for a model permanent boarding house’. The result was Christ’s College Jacobs House, built as a replacement for the west end of the Headmaster’s House and Somes Building, an 1868 timber building demolished in 1929 to make way for the new building. The foundation stone was laid on 16 January 1930 by Governor-General Sir Charles Fergusson. Its design included ‘common rooms, library, studies, four dormitories, maids accommodation, tutors rooms, matron’s room etc’ among its 40 rooms. Situated on the north side of the college quadrangle, Christ’s College Jacobs House is a three storeyed building, essentially L-shaped in plan, amalgamating Collegiate Gothic and Georgian Revival styles. Its architect, Cecil Wood, was architect for the Christ’s College Hare Memorial Library (1915) and Christ’s College Dining Hall (1925) and he planned the building to harmonise in materials, style and proportions with the existing buildings which form the historic school complex. Like the adjacent Christ’s College School House (1909), Christ’s College Jacobs House presents to the quadrangle a dark stone façade relieved by lighter stone dressings. The stone is mainly Hoon Hay grey stone, with Redcliffs red stone in the battlements, and Oamaru white stone is used for the entrance way, window surrounds and string course. The latter contains small stone faces carved by well-known Canterbury stonemason, Frederick G Gurnsey. The roof is slate. A more domestic appearance is given by the use of brick for the neo-Georgian river façade, where the house master’s residence is located. Much of the interior has rimu panelling and the library has a fireplace of pink Anama stone from Mount Somers, which commemorates Guy Spencer Bryan-Brown, College Chaplain, who was killed during the First World War. In the early days, Christ’s College Jacobs House housed around 50 boys, though in the late 1970s it had 75. In 2003 the building was strengthened using reinforced concrete shear walls, plywood structural floor diaphragms and steel ties to the exterior. A steel-framed concrete block addition at the rear of the building was constructed in 2003. These days Jacobs House is one of the ‘day boy’ houses for non-boarders.
Location
List Entry Information
Overview
Detailed List Entry
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 2
Access
Private/No Public Access
List Number
3279
Date Entered
11th November 1981
Date of Effect
11th November 1981
City/District Council
Christchurch City
Region
Canterbury Region
Legal description
Pt Res 25 (RT CB436/70), Canterbury Land District
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