ARCHITECT/ENGINEER/DESIGNER: The house was built by William Baucke, the Chathams-born son of the Moravian missionary Johann Baucke. The chimneys were later built by a visiting English bricklayer. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: A two storeyed colonial house of the late 19th Century. The front elevation has a verandah and two dormer windows, with a wing extending to the north, with a bay window and gable window. The east wing was built first in 1882. It includes the hall, kitchen and dining room, which has previously functioned as a shop. An outside door opens into the store which was the storey above the shop. There are service rooms and a verandah in a lean-to on the south side. The west wing, constructed in 1886, has a prominent bay window and decorated cable to the north. On the west elevation there is an elegant decorated verandah of six bays, two now filled in as a conservatory. Three regular half dormers above light three bedrooms on the top floor. The ground floor has two living rooms and a museum room. The joinery is generally double hung windows of two and four lights. Doors are four-panelled with moulded architraves. Formal rooms have a vertical tongue and groove dado. All timbers are kauri, machined in Whitianga and brought over to the Chathams. Very high levels of trade skills are shown in the carpentry and joinery of the house, in particular in the fretwork, window and door joinery, staircase and balustrade and finishing timbers. MODIFICATIONS: Date unknown: Two bays of north-west verandah filled in for conservatory. 1830s? Fourth bedroom on first floor created from roof space.