Cuba Street Historic Area

Cuba Street, WELLINGTON

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This historic area was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. This report includes text from the original Recommendation for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Cuba St is a commercial retail area which had its heyday during the 1900's-1940's. This was encouraged by the electric tram service which had its route to the Northern suburbs down Cuba St almost from the time of electrification (1904). Since the forties, the popularity of Cuba St has declined which has saved it from more modern development and so many of the early buildings still exist. The Edwardian character of the street is especially strong at the top end, with many buildings retaining their original use. Most buildings still have small specialist retailers in the street level shops and residential space above. The social pattern is clearly visible in the architecture. The confidence of the Edwardian era is reflected in the use of glazed tiles on the shop frontages which was not usual for this type of commercial architecture. This upper section of Cuba St has a strong link with the Tonks family who were important settlers with the head of the family, William, being responsible for the town's first major harbour reclamation between Panama and Waring-Taylor Streets. At the opposite end of Cuba St , including the mall (pedestrian only) and the block nearest Wakefield St, the buildings are highly compatible in scale and function, There are a number of buildings from the post WW1 period with individual qualities that have not merited individual registration but which make a significant contribution to the streetscape and character of the area as a whole. Some of these have notable features representative of the new styles and ideas in architecture which were taking hold at the time,

Cuba Street Historic Area | Helen McCracken | Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga
Cuba Street Historic Area | Anika Klee | 14/05/2009 | Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga
Cuba Street Historic Area. Plan of Historic Area from registration report | 03/03/1995 | Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Area

Access

Private/No Public Access

List Number

7209

Date Entered

3rd March 1995

Date of Effect

3rd March 1995

City/District Council

Wellington City

Region

Wellington Region

Extent of List Entry

Buildings on both sides of Cuba Street between Wakefield Street and Webb Street including: Columbia Hotel (register #3636) MED Building (register #5831 - CR) Manchester Unity (54-56 Cuba St) TG McCarthy (register #5380) Bank of New Zealand (register #1338) Woolworths (88-92 Cuba St) Farmers (register # 3632) Barker and Pollock (104 Cuba Street) Bellamy's Bookshop (and others) (106 Cuba St) Cubacade (108-114 Cuba St) 1917 Building (116 Cuba St) Cuba Mall Butchery (118 Cuba St) Troopers (126 Cuba St) Little People's Shop (128 Cuba St) Krazy Rick's Building (register # 5361) Commercial Building (regiser # 5368) The Vic (register # 5356) Commercial Building (158 Cuba St) Maguire's Building (register # 5365) Commercial Building (register # 5366) National Bank (register # 3634) Commercial Building (196 Cuba St) Commercial Building (register # 5357) Commercial Buildings (230 Cuba St) Commercial Building (232 Cuba St) Commercial Building (270 Cuba St) Commercial Building (register # 5351) Commercial Building (register # 5350) Commercial Building (280 Cuba St) Commercial Building/Cottage (register # 5349) Lampard Flats (284-286 Cuba St) Commercial Building (register # 5348) Commercial Building (register # 5427) Commercial Building (register # 5355) Commercial Building (register # 5354) Commercial Building (293 Cuba St) Commercial Building (register # 5353) Commercial Building (287 Cuba St) Commercial Building (251 Cuba St) Commercial Building (247 Cuba St) Wilkinson Ltd (241-243 Cuba St) Commercial Buildings (231, 235, 239 Cuba St) Commercial Building (227 Cuba St) Commercial Building (CR register #5358) Railton Hotel (register # 3626) People's Palace (register # 5359) Mammy Flo's (register # 1412) Morgan's Building (register # 5360) Commercial Building (register # 5362) Commercial Building (187 Cuba St) Commercial Building (register # 5341) Commercial Building (PX register # 5342) Silvio's Building (register # 5343) ANZ Bank (165 Cuba St) Commercial Building (register # 3628) Commercial Building (register # 5345) Berry Building (register # 5363) Commercial Building (register # 5346) Hotel Bristol (register # 3629) Barber's Building (register # 3630) Narnia (119-121 Cuba St) Wellington Working Men's Club (register # 3631) James Smiths (register # 5379) Arco Building (45-47 Cuba St) Last Footwear Company (register # 5378) Kennedy Building (register # 5377) Civic Chambers (corner Cuba and Wakefield Sts)

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