Thompson House, officially named the Thompson Memorial Cultural Centre and located at 4 Kent Street, Levin, was constructed in 1922 as a residence and a doctor’s surgery. The building is of social significance as since 1974 it has been a well-used community centre with at least 20 regular user groups and a popular venue for exhibitions, functions and other special events. The level of its community esteem is also demonstrated by the ongoing community and local government commitment to funding its maintenance. In addition, the building has commemorative value as a memorial to Dr Samuel James Thompson’s extraordinary contribution to the Levin community. He not only provided long-standing medical service for the people of Levin but also gave his time and energy to at least 24 local organisations.
Dr John Graham Gow was the original purchaser of this property in 1920. Construction of his residence began in 1921. Dr S.J. Thompson, OBE, came to Levin and commenced practice at the house with Dr Gow in 1924, and purchased the house and practice in 1926. From the 1920s to the early 1970s, Dr Thompson continuously provided medical services for the Levin community, and became a member of the Levin RSA Committee and St John Ambulance Division. In addition, Mrs. Thompson was known for her hospitality. Dr Thompson died in 1973. In 1974, the house was bought by the Levin Borough Council, renamed ‘Thompson Memorial Cultural Centre’ (known informally as Thompson House), and opened to the community.
Thompson House was designed by notable architects Frederick de Jersey Clere and Llewellyn Edwin Williams, and was built by Mr. J Harvey of local company Harvey & Co. It is a two-storeyed, multi-gabled, typical English Cottage style house featuring characteristic steeply pitched roofs and dormers. The two chimneys are located in the offset right and offset left of the roof. The entrance is in the north of the house and is sheltered by a gabled porch. A garage is to the south-east of the house. In the early years, electricity was supplied by a dynamo in the garage.
To create accommodation downstairs for a caretaker, alterations took place in 1974. Some walls were also removed to create a large dining room, new kitchen, and exhibition area; a doorway was walled up to block up the bedroom from the main landing; and most of an upstairs kitchen was removed. A historic gas lamp was installed outside Thompson House in 1980. Before the completion of the hydro-electric power station at Mangahao, this gas lamp had been used in Levin from 1909 to 1924. In 1991, coloursteel tiles replaced the original Marseille tiles. To improve accessibility, a new entrance ramp was built at the northern-west corner of the house in 2011. Five years later, the Horowhenua District Council undertook a major upgrade, including seismic strengthening, a new concrete access ramp at the main entrance, a new fire escape, and exterior building repairs. Inside, the staircase and its finely turned handrail, the built-in cabinetry upstairs, the panelled entrance hall and the characteristic door latches are the most prominent original features; the exterior has had little change. The community centre’s four meeting rooms are well-used and can be booked for meetings, classes and events; the garage is used by the Levin Pottery Club.