This large two-storey residence on Gill Street was built for Mr Oliver Samuel in 1883. It was designed by Mr Edmonds and the contractor was W. Campbell.
The property was later bought by Mr F.S. Butler (the father of New Plymouth historian Fred Butler). It seems likely that in the early 1920s the residence was converted to a boarding house, which by 1930 was known as the Grand Vue Private Hotel.
Butler sold the property to the Farmer's Co-op in 1954, and the building was demolished in 1960 to make way for a carpark.
In 1988 neighbouring buildings were demolished to make way for $20m twin-tower blocks to house the Inland Revenue and Social Welfare departments.
Related items:
Town Section 882, Taranaki Land Deed Index I1 page 131. (Archives New Zealand)
Taranaki DP4528 Sheet 1 (1924), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)
Taranaki DP4978 Sheet 1 (1928), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)
Old Home to Make Way (Taranaki Herald 8 June 1960)
End Of a Ballroom (Taranaki Herald 23 July 1960)
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