Oct 12, 2008

Christchurch 1878-2008


LARGE IMAGE OPENS IN A NEW WINDOW

An easterly view of Hereford Street from the intersection at Colombo and High Streets, looking towards Manchester Street.

The two storey building to the Right is the only survivor from the earlier photograph.

6 comments:

kuaka said...

Can I claim a virtual chocolate fish or buzz bar for identifying the Fisher Building as the 2 storey survivor?

Incidentally, you can get a southeasterly view of the Colombo/High/Hereford St corner by taking a look at my blog post for 31 August, Christchurch Past & Present #3 as seen on vintage postcards, one of my hobbies. Clicking on my ID should help get you there.

kuaka said...

Oops, i can't count. Fisher's is a 3 storey! it's the one next door you were referring to. darn, no chocolate fish!

Marcus Castell said...

Sorry about the chocolate fish, no it's not the the 1881 Fisher Building, but one of the oldest survivors in the city. Haven't been able to date it yet, but appears to have been built circa 1865-1875. It's actually a pair of partially conjoined buildings through to High Street.

Marcus Castell said...

A closer inspection of the photographic record indicates that the surviving building was built after 1869, but before 1875.

It replaced a two-storey warehouse type building constructed after 1860, but before 1865.

kuaka said...

will a search of the title records yield that information re when & by whom? I have no idea, of course, how far title records go back or in the age of user-pays whether it's an inexpensive "look-up" exercise. just a thought - and suspect you already have the answer!

Marcus Castell said...

If one knows the Town Section number, then Land Information New Zealand in Hereford Street, will prove most helpful (without expense) in showing the relevant entries in their old registers. These records show changes of ownership of land and encumbrances (mortgages, leases, etc), but usually not details relating to constructions.

In the case of the surviving Hereford-High Street building its section was originally the south eastern part of that on which the 1881 Fisher Building now stands (not quite triangular or diamond shaped).

Edward Jollie's 1849 survey map shows that the section was crossed by the gully of dried up river bed, but by 1862 the site had been leveled and was occupied by Fisher's grocery shop.

The two storey warehouse type structure that first occupied the site of the surviving building first appears on the 1862 map and was probably an extension of W. J. Fisher's Grocery as a circa 1870 photograph shows Fisher occupying the High frontage of the surviving Hereford-High Street building.