Rowe & Healy Ltd. Building, 147-151 Devon Street East (1938)

This Devon Street East building was erected in 1938-39 and the current facade is very different than the original.

Rowe & Healy Ltd. commenced business in 1934 selling and servicing motorcycles. Such was the success of the business only four years later plans were prepared for a modern two-storey concrete building. On ground level was a showroom and workshop while beneath ground level was 12,000 square feet of car storage. 

The contactor Harold Rowe may also have designed the building. The new business premises were ready for use in April 1939.

A permit was granted by the Borough Council to the Trustees of Rowe and Healy on 15 September 1938 for the construction of a building on Lot 3 of Sec 903, DP564 and Pt Lot 3 of Sec 904, DP3996, Devon Street East – Harold Rowe was the builder, and the estimated construction cost was £4070.

Related items:

Taranaki DP564 Sheet 1 Subdivision of Section 903 (1893), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ).

Taranaki DP3796 Sheet 1 (1919), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Taranaki (Lot 1) DP7001 Sheet 1 (1951), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Rowe & Healy Ltd. extending premises (Taranaki Daily News 1 September 1938) 

Rowe & Healy Ltd. advertisement (Taranaki Daily News 3 September 1938)

Business expansion (Taranaki Daily News 16 September 1938)

Keeping pace with progress (Taranaki Daily News 29 April 1939)