House

38A Ashley Street, RANGIORA

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The house at 38A Ashley Street, Rangiora, is a modified late nineteenth century villa. Located on one of the main north/south routes through the town, the former dwelling is now surrounded by a mixture of commercial and residential buildings. In its original form, the villa would have been representative of early residential development in Rangiora township. However, the building and its setting have been extensively altered and as a result the villa has lost much of its authenticity. The takiwā (district) of Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga centres on Tuahiwi and extends from the Hurunui to the Hakatere river and inland to the Main Divide. Nearby the famous Kaiapoi Pā was established by the first Ngāi Tahu ancestors when they settled Te Wai Pounamu. Kaiapoi Pā was the major capital, trading centre and point from which further penetration of the South Island occurred so the area is a genealogical centre for all Ngāi Tahu whānui (descendants). Kaiapoi Pā was established by Moki’s elder brother Tūrākautahi who was the second son of Tūāhuriri, hence “Ngai Tūāhuriri” is the name of the hapū of this area. The township of Rangiora was established in the early 1850s as a sawmilling town and became the administrative and commercial centre for the surrounding rural industries. Ashley Street is named after Lord Ashley, the Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury, who was a member of the Canterbury Association. It is the main route leading to the Ashley River and township from Rangiora and on early maps was labelled as Mt Grey Road. Land comprising 32 perches on Ashley Street was purchased by Charles Avery Cunningham in July 1875. Cunningham was born in Greater Manchester, England in 1845 and emigrated to New Zealand in 1859. The date of construction of the villa is unknown but is thought to be after 1887 when Cunningham started work for the Government and within five years became Inspector of Agriculture and Stock for North Canterbury. Cunningham was married to Henrietta (née Chattaway) from Warwickshire, England and they had nine children. The former dwelling at 38A Ashley Street is a small bay villa, which originally had a faceted bay window to one side. It is clad in weatherboard with a gabled iron roof and single brick chimney. The front elevation has a central doorway and the windows to the front and sides are a mixture of casement and top-hung styles. There are two lean-to extensions to the rear (east) of the main building and a free-standing garage is located in the north-east corner of the site. Charles Cunningham died in 1925 and the Ashley Street property was transferred to Richard Murray, a labourer from Rangiora in January 1927. In December 1955 it was purchased by Rangiora Council employee Trevor George Reid, and passed to his widow upon his death in 1986. The property was sold again in 1991 to David and Mary Meyers and in 1998 to William and Desray Geursen before being purchased in 2001 by the current owner. The building and its setting have undergone extensive modification, most of which is thought to have been post-2004. The site was subdivided, with Lot 1 at the front of the site retaining the villa on approximately 400 square metres of land. Lot 2 to the rear comprises of the same site area and a new dwelling has been constructed approximately three metres to the rear of the villa. The sash windows to the front and sides of the building have been replaced with a mixture of top-hung and casements of varying sizes. The faceted bay window and decorative bay roof on the façade have been removed and replaced with a hipped-roof lean-to extension. The bullnose verandah has been replaced. These extensive modifications are not in keeping with the style of the original villa and the cumulative effect is a significant loss of heritage value.

House. Original image submitted at time of registration | C Cochran | 10/06/1984 | NZHPT Field Record Form Collection

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 2

Access

Private/No Public Access

List Number

3773

Date Entered

9th September 1984

Date of Effect

9th September 1984

City/District Council

Waimakariri District

Region

Canterbury Region

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes the land described as Lot 1 DP 300905 (RT 4231), Canterbury Land District and the House thereon.

Legal description

Lot 1 DP 300905 (RT 4231), Canterbury Land District

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