Ker House (Former)

6 Emerald Street, Epsom, AUCKLAND

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The corner-angle bay villa at 6 Emerald Street was completed in 1906 on the lower slopes of One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie) in Auckland. Erected for businessman John Ker, the single-storey, timber house is notable for the visual qualities of its ornate exterior and main internal spaces, contributing to its value as a well-preserved Edwardian villa. Maungakiekie and its surrounding area were occupied by Waiohua chief Kiwi Tamaki before being taken over by Ngati Whatua in the eighteenth century. Following the founding of Auckland as colonial capital in 1840, the land at Emerald Street was part of a Crown Grant that was farmed before being subdivided for residential housing as the Emerald Hill estate in 1904. In 1905 Scottish-born John Ker (1857-1933), an accountant with the Northern Steamship Company (NSC), bought one of the lots for the construction of a new residence. Located on Auckland's suburban fringe, the site lay close to Cornwall Park, which had recently been endowed as an attractive public amenity and encompassed the remains of Maungakiekie pa. Ker was a senior employee within the NSC, which was one of only two major independent shipping companies in New Zealand in the early twentieth century. Constructed by 1906, Ker's residence consisted of a corner-angle bay villa with three gables linked by a return verandah. Architecturally, it drew on both traditional timber bay villa design, and newer English and American influences that were part of an early twentieth-century cultural eclecticism. Lavish ornamentation included lathe-turned spindles and posts, carved brackets, and fretwork incorporating designs of the popular American Eastlake style. Its roof was distinctively finished with Marseilles tiles and terracotta cresting, products that had been recently introduced to New Zealand. Echoes of the colony's earliest homesteads were evoked by the verandah and low-sweeping main roof, a feature of the Edwardian villa style. Internally, the residence included a parlour, large dining room and three bedrooms planned around a central hall. The latter was divided into public and private realms by a grand arch supported by classical columns. A cusped plaster arch in the rear part of the house suggested Moorish influences. Ornate ceilings in several of the main rooms were of pressed metal, promoted in 1906 as having the potential to transform modern building construction. The building's composition and detailing raise the suggestion of an architect's hand, possibly that of Arthur Lewitt Ferneyhough (1872-1936) who was best known for the contemporary residence now known as Florence Court (1907). After the Ker family sold the house in 1909 the site had several owners, including school inspector Archibald Burnett (1899-1982), who retained it for almost 25 years. Alterations since 1971 have included modifications at the rear of the house such as ensuite bathroom additions. The house remains in use as a private residence. Ker House (Former) has aesthetic significance for its striking appearance, including its Marseilles tile roof and ornate detailing. The place has architectural significance as a well-preserved example of an Edwardian corner-angle bay villa which reflects English and American influences and early twentieth century eclecticism. It has architectural value for demonstrating the mature stage of evolution of the bay villa form, and the introduction of new materials and styles in early twentieth-century New Zealand. The place represents a particularly well-preserved example of surviving Edwardian decorative design in a variety of media including pressed metal, glass, plaster, and timber joinery. It also illustrates the relationship between architectural design, the use of ornamentation and social status within the more public areas of an Edwardian domestic environment.

Ker House (Former), Epsom | Robin Byron | 08/10/2009 | NZ Historic Places Trust
Roof detail showing terracotta ridge tiles and terminals, and red brick chimney (looking southeast) | Joan McKenzie | 08/10/2009 | NZ Historic Places Trust
Corner-bracket design | Robin Byron | 08/10/2009 | NZ Historic Places Trust

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

4534

Date Entered

4th April 2010

Date of Effect

4th April 2010

City/District Council

Auckland Council

Region

Auckland Council

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes the land described as Pt Lot 14 DP 3293 (RT NA49A/626), North Auckland Land District and the buildings and structures known as Ker House (Former) thereon, and their fittings and fixtures. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 of the registration report for further information).

Legal description

Pt Lot 14 DP 3293 (RT NA49A/626), North Auckland Land District

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