Why is this place significant?

DESCRIPTION: Howell's Cottage was built for Captain John Howell [1810?-74] about 1837-38. Howell was born at Eastbourne, Sussex, and at an early age ran away to sea. He went first to France and then smuggled on board a ship to Australia. He remained there, working as a whaler until he came to New Zealand at the age of eighteen. In Sydney he had known John Jones, the Waikouaiti pioneer, and in 1834 Jones sent him south to find a suitable whaling site near Foveaux Strait. Howell chose Jacobs River and the following year returned with a gang of 60 Europeans. This settlement became known as Riverton, and was proclaimed a township in 1858. Howell married Kohikohi, the daughter of Patu, the Ngatimamoe chief of Centre Island. He received a large "dowry" in the form of land which extended from Waimatuku to Jacobs River. He built the house now known as Howell's Cottage for Kohikohi in the middle of what was then the local Maori kaik (village). Kohikohi died in 1841 and Howell remarried in 1845. His second wife was Caroline, daughter of Captain Robert Brown and Wharerimu, for whom he built another house. Howell's Cottage remained in his ownership until his death in 1874 although he was not living there. Howell was known as a "sea captain, headman of the Jacobs River shore whaling station, shipman, gold digger, cattleman and runholder", and had substantial land holdings in the province including Fairlight Station. In addition he was a member of the Southland Provincial Council for Riverton (1862-69). On Howell's death the cottage passed to his eldest son from his first marriage, George (1838-1938), and following the death of the latter it passed to Howell's son by his second marriage, Edmund. It passed out of the family in 1952. In 1972 it was purchased by Eva Wilson. Mrs Wilson is the great grand-daughter of Captain John Howell and the grand-daughter of George Howell.

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: This single storey, Colonial Georgian cottage has a hipped roof and the street facade is symmetrical about the entrance. This facade has a verandah supported on four square posts with simply moulded brackets. The verandah roof has concave rafters, resulting in a flared appearance, fixed below the eaves of the main hipped roof. On either side of the central panelled door is a single double-hung sash window, each sash with one light. Beneath the corrugated iron cladding of the hipped roof portion is the original shingled roof. This section contains the front bedroom and parlour. A lean-to at the rear houses a second bedroom and kitchen and a further lean-to off the kitchen houses the bathroom. The windows towards the rear of the house are original. MODIFICATIONS: Dates not known: Bathroom lean-to added off the kitchen. Wall between pantry and second bedroom removed. Windows on front elevation replaced. Corrugated iron laid over original shingled roof. Wooden verandah floor replaced with concrete slab.

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Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions.