Reuben Watts House (Former)

14 Rewiti Avenue and William Street, Takapuna, AUCKLAND

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Reuben Watts House (Former) is situated in Takapuna, part of a contested landscape of significance to several iwi which subsequently formed part of the Crown acquisitions known as the Mahurangi purchase. Prominent Ngāpuhi leader Eruera Maihi Patuone was gifted 110 acres across the peninsula in the 1850s. The land remained owned by his family until the late nineteenth century when the property was subdivided and sold, as residential settlement in the area increased. The place is a well-preserved 1923 Arts and Crafts residence on Auckland’s North Shore, created through the close collaboration of two renowned designers and craftsmen at the height of their powers. Designed and built by architect James Chapman-Taylor and metalworker William Reuben Watts, the residence prominently occupies a corner section near Takapuna Beach and remains largely intact since original construction. It has architectural, technological and aesthetic significance for its expression of Arts and Crafts philosophy in its design, plan, decoration, innovative construction method and visual impact, which reflects the contributions of its architect and first owner as craftsmen. It has historical significance as a demonstration of the commercial success of the Arts and Crafts movement in the 1920s and development of Takapuna as an early twentieth century suburb of Auckland. It has special significance for the technical accomplishment of the collaboration between Chapman-Taylor and Watts which created a residence which embodies the reformist zeal of the architect with a full expression of handcrafted Arts and Crafts design features. The northern shores of the Waitematā Harbour are of significance to several iwi and form part of a heavily contested landscape. The Crown acquired the land at Takapuna in the Mahurangi purchase and later gifted part of the land to prominent Ngāpuhi chief Eruera Maihi Patuone. Takapuna developed as an outer suburban settlement of Auckland and was popular with artists. It experienced a building boom from the early 1920s and in 1919 part Allotment 31 was purchased by William Reuben Watts (1869-1940). Watts, originally from Manchester, was a pioneering metalworker and acclaimed artist in the Auckland Arts and Crafts scene who reached the height of his commercial success in the 1920s. In 1923 Watts commissioned a house from his close friend, and fellow Arts and Crafts craftsman, James Chapman-Taylor, a noted New Zealand architect. The collaboration between Watts and Chapman-Taylor to create Reuben Watts House (Former) embodied their commitment to the Arts and Crafts philosophy. The movement originated in mid-nineteenth century England as a reaction against industrialisation and mass production and harked back to medieval architecture, advocating for a return to handcrafting. Specifically inspired by Watts’ desire for an old English manorial residence, Reuben Watts House (Former) was an asymmetric, two-storey house with a steep pitched tile roof with mixture of hipped and gable ends, tall chimneys, small windows and an attached garage. An early example of Chapman-Taylor building with reinforced concrete, the building was clad with an experimental trowel-stroke plastering technique which became a signature of Chapman-Taylor’s later work. The interior was richly decorated with notable extensive use of hand-adzed timber throughout and incorporated Watts’ metalwork elements. Laid out with the living rooms downstairs and bedrooms upstairs, the residence also includes a prominent inglenook with beaten copper decoration and built in seating. Upstairs Watts painted a large mural in the main bedroom depicting an Arts and Crafts garden scene. The residence has been described as ‘a confident announcement of faith in ideas expressed as a house’. Watts and his family resided at the property for the next fifteen years. Watts’ business was heavily affected by the Great Depression and he lost the house to foreclosure in 1938. The property was purchased by the Golder family in 1938 who lived there for 77 years, making only a few minor changes. In recent years the house has been restored and remains largely intact, with separate additional buildings within the rear property boundary. In 2018 the restored home won a Local Board conservation award and it remains a private residence (2020).

Reuben Watts House (Former), Takapuna, Auckland | Alexandra Foster | 17/09/2020 | Heritage New Zealand
Reuben Watts House (Former), Takapuna, Auckland. South elevation, showing garage, porches and concrete fence and 1923 pergola | Alexandra Foster | 17/09/2020 | Heritage New Zealand
Reuben Watts House (Former), Takapuna, Auckland. Details showing handmade hardware and hinges on doors | 01/02/2011 | Matthews and Matthews Architects Limited

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 1

Access

Private/No Public Access

List Number

9686

Date Entered

5th May 2021

Date of Effect

6th June 2021

City/District Council

Auckland Council

Region

Auckland Council

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes the land described as Lot 1 DP 206400 (RT NA129A/580), North Auckland Land District, and the building and structures known as Reuben Watts House thereon. The extent includes the 1923 garage, 1923 concrete boundary wall with gates and 1923 pergola. It excludes the 2018 pavilion, connecting glazed passage and boatshed buildings but includes the land beneath these structures. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 of the List entry report for further information).

Legal description

Lot 1 DP 206400 (RT NA129A/580), North Auckland Land District

Location Description

Additional Location Information NZTM Easting: 2669100.83 NZTM Northing: 6488343.90

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