Constructed by 1877, the single storeyed timber cottage at 404 Montreal Street has architectural, historical and social significance as an important example of a small colonial cottage in inner city Christchurch. It illustrates the pattern of early residential development in the north-east of the central city, and now forms an important surviving heritage element in the historically densely settled residential area south of Bealey Avenue.

The dwelling appears to have been built by 1877 when the land was owned by the Reverend John Aldred (1818-1894), a Wesleyan minister who owned much of the land in the area from the mid-1850s.

Sitting alongside other nineteenth century cottages on the east side of Montreal Street, the cottage is a plain single storeyed weatherboard building with a simple verandah extending the length of the façade. It has a central door flanked by multi-paned sash windows. The street appearance of the cottage has a high degree of external integrity.

When built, the cottage was on a larger parcel of land that by 1900 contained four cottages (404, 406, 408 and 410 Montreal Street). It is not clear who the first occupants of the cottage at 402 Montreal Street were. In 1881 the land was conveyed to Charles Duggan, painter of Christchurch. In 1884 Duggan was charged with harbouring a deserter from the ss Tongariro, Jabez A White. In 1900 Duggan sold to Annie Maude Grady, wife of milliner Richard Grove Grady. There were several changes of ownership before Frederick Laws, bricklayer, purchased the property in 1922 and subdivided it, which resulted in 404 Montreal Street having its own title. The cottage has had numerous occupants over the years, notably Christchurch architect, Don Donnithorne between 1977 and 1991. The cottage was extended and restored in 1975 and again in 1989.