Claffey's Cottage, 112 Lemon Street (circa early 1880s)

This cottage was constructed during the early 1880s by or for Darby John Claffey.

A map of New Plymouth compiled by Thomas Skinner in mid-late 1880 showing all major structures present at that time doesn't show any buildings present on Town Section 1609 - at this time the property was owned by William Webber Watson.

In February 1881, Town Section 1609 (along with a number of others) were advertised as being for sale by auction by Bauchope & King on behalf of Watson's attorneys', Messrs Benjamin Sith & Co. There is no mention of any house on the section at this time and it is still presumed to be vacant. 

The property was purchased at auction by Darby John Claffey and he is thought to have constructed the present cottage near the centre of Town Section 1609 soon after. The section is still vacant in a photograph of the area taken sometime between late-1880 and late-1883 (probably closer to the earlier part of this period). 

The earliest known surviving rates book for the section under Claffey's ownership is that for the 1887-88 rating year, with the present house almost certainly in existence by this time, with the rates book noting that a house was present on Town Section 1609, and the property having a rateable value of £13.

The earliest known photograph of the house is from the early-1890s, where it can be seen in a photograph of the area taken from Fort Niger (photograph A.3.297 held by Puke Ariki). The house can also be seen in another photograph taken from Fort Niger which appeared in the Auckland Weekly News on 25 June 1898.  

Ownership of the property passed to John Claffey after Darby moved to Western Australia in 1896. He only held ownership for a few years until 1900, when the property was sold by the mortgagee at auction to N. K. McDiarmid. The auction advertisement notes that at the time a four-roomed cottage and fowl-house was located on the section. 

In the 1980s the house was shifted closer to the rear of the section and a bungalow relocated in front.

The cottage is a simple box cottage clad in plain horizontal weatherboards and retaining its original single-pane double hung sash windows and wooden front door - this style of cottage was once very common in the central city.  

Town Section 1609: Taranaki Land Deed Index I13 page 113.