Hosking House, named by the current (2017) owners, is the sole survivor of three similar villas constructed in 1894, on Victoria Road between Pendarves and Gilbert Streets.
Town Sections 1025, 1044, and 1045 were purchased by W. Shephard in August 1894 from New Plymouth Land Agent W. J. Spurge. Advertisements were then placed in the Taranaki Herald in late August 1894 by architect P. G. Smith calling for tenders for the erection of three cottages for W. Shephard Esq, on Carrington Road.
The three villas appear to have originally been named "Mount Pleasant" (probably Section 1045), "Holmwood" (probably Section 1044 - this villa) and "Brookside" (probably Section 1025). All three villas were listed for sale as "recently built" in December 1894 using these names. Puke Ariki holds a panoramic photograph showing the villas, probably taken about 1897.
Notable New Plymouth architect Frank Messenger designed additions for 1 Victoria Road in 1905 - a permit was granted by the Borough Council on 5 May 1905.
The building is clad in ship-lap and rusticated weatherboard and retains its original single-pane double hung sash windows. Hosking house is located within a precinct notable for its high number of intact heritage and character homes.
Related items:
Town Section 1044, Taranaki Land Deed Index I1 Page 149 and I13 Page 343. (Archives New Zealand)
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The information on this website is provided for general research and reference only. While we try to keep content accurate and current, we make no guarantees about its completeness or correctness. It should not be considered a replacement for a LIM or a Property Report. Some content is supplied by third parties. Puke Ariki has not verified this content and users should check its accuracy before relying on it.The inclusion of a building on the website does not imply heritage status. See SCHED1 in the NPDC District Plan for a list of buildings that have rules about what can happen to or around them (administered by NPDC). See the New Zealand Heritage List for a list of buildings that are celebrated for their heritage significance but are not subject to rules (administered by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga). Should any corrections need to be made to the records or for more information please contact us.
