Pleasant Villa

177 Grey Street, Onehunga, AUCKLAND

Quick links:

Pleasant Villa, Onehunga is an unusual and well-preserved example of a late Gothic Revival house of brick construction, erected and occupied by a prominent local builder and bricklayer, William Kemp (1841-1906). Dating to circa 1904, the single-storey structure was constructed in the eastern part of Onehunga, which had been created as a quasi-military 'fencible' settlement by the colonial government in 1847, and was also previously settled by Ngati Tahuhu and Ngati Whatua. By the late nineteenth century, the town had undergone considerable expansion reflecting its role as the most important port on Auckland's Manukau Harbour. William Kemp was a bricklayer from England, who as an apprentice had worked on the Tower of London, one of the British capital's most significant medieval buildings. After his arrival in New Zealand in 1864, he participated in the construction of Auckland's Shortland Street Post Office, a noted Gothic Revival showpiece. He subsequently moved to Onehunga, where as a prominent member of the local Catholic community he was responsible for the construction of the Church of the Assumption (NZHPT Register # 523, Category II historic place) in 1887-9, which was also of Gothic Revival design. During the late nineteenth century he erected several brick houses for his own use or for letting, including residences occupied by himself and his wife Sarah, known as The Grottos in Heretaunga Street (1880s or before) and The Tower House in Church Street (circa 1890). Constructed late in his life, Kemp's new residence at Pleasant Villa was positioned on a slight knoll overlooking other properties that he had built and owned. The house and its associated brick outbuilding lay in the western part of a larger holding, which may have been used for market gardening, another of Kemp's interests. Of corner-bay design, the main house incorporated six moderate-sized rooms, while the outbuilding contained a washhouse and an attached toilet. Probably built just before Kemp took occupation in 1905, the structures may have been erected with the assistance of his sons William Kemp junior and Thomas Kemp. William Kemp junior was also a bricklayer who went on to build Onehunga's Catholic presbytery (1906). Like his father, he also erected several brick houses for his own or immediate family's use in the immediate vicinity, including Emerald Hill (circa 1909). Pleasant Villa can be seen as the culmination of William Kemp senior's experience as a bricklayer and builder. It was designed in an ornate Gothic Revival style, which incorporated a significant amount of decorative brickwork and other ornamental detailing. Kemp was noted for his ornamental brick finishes and these elements can be considered to reflect his pride in his trade as well as advertising his skills. Brick-built Gothic Revival appears to have been unusual for domestic residences in the North Island, and domestic Gothic Revival in all materials was also uncommon after the 1880s. Its use at Pleasant Villa perhaps reflected Kemp's own personal history as a builder and his connections with the Catholic church, which continued to use Gothic Revival for its presbyteries and other clerical residences into at least the late 1880s and 1890s. Unusual Gothic Revival elements employed at Pleasant Villa include a shield with the initials 'NZI' - said to stand for New Zealand Industries - on each of its main gables, and ashlar scored plaster on the upper walls of its main hallway. Basalt thresholds may also have contributed to its Gothic Revival appearance. Following Kemp's death in 1906 and that of his wife Sarah in 1907, ownership of the property passed to their son Thomas. After Thomas Kemp developed financial difficulties during the Great Depression of the late 1920s, the house was purchased by builder George Black. Black may have initiated a number of comparatively minor modifications in the 1930s or later, including possibly externally rendering the main residence to provide it with a more 'modern' appearance. Following subdivision in the 1950s, its long-term tenants, William and Doris Stewart purchased the remnant part of the property, changing comparatively little of the basic structure of the house. In 1989, the place was bought by Landmark Incorporated, an independent incorporated society set up in 1972 to help preserve New Zealand's heritage. Still currently owned by Landmark Incorporated, Pleasant Villa remains in use as a private residence. Pleasant Villa has aesthetic significance for its striking appearance and for the level and quality of its visual detailing. It has architectural significance as an unusual and well-preserved example of brick-built domestic Gothic Revival in the North Island, which demonstrates the survival of domestic Gothic Revival as an architectural style into the early twentieth century. The aesthetic and architectural significance of Pleasant Villa extends to the building interior.

Pleasant Villa | Martin Jones | 07/03/2008 | NZ Historic Places Trust
Pleasant Villa: Shield and ‘NZI’ detail on west gable | Martin Jones | 07/03/2008 | NZ Historic Places Trust

Location

Loading

List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 2

Access

Private/No Public Access

List Number

7754

Date Entered

6th June 2008

Date of Effect

6th June 2008

City/District Council

Auckland Council

Region

Auckland Council

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes the land described as Lot 1 DP 188186 & Lot 2 DP 35200 (RT NA118/793), North Auckland Land District and the buildings and structures known as Pleasant Villa thereon, and their fittings and fixtures. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 for registration report for further information).

Legal description

Lot 1 DP 188186 & Lot 2 DP 35200 (RT NA118/793), North Auckland Land District

Location Description

Located at the eastern end of Grey Street, near its intersection with Mays Road.

Stay up to date with Heritage this month