Walker's Building, cnr Morley Street and Devon Street West (1929)

This building on the corner of Devon Street West and Morley Streets appears to have been built in several stages. In 1929 plans were drawn up for a butcher's shop for Mr G. Walker by the well-known firm of Messenger, Griffiths and Taylor. A building permit for the shop, located on Town Section 212, was issued by the New Plymouth Borough Council on 4 February 1929. Jones & Sandford were the contractors, and the estimated value was £600.

Another permit was issued to Walker on 31 October 1929 for a shop on Town Section (Part) 212. This time the contractor was G.M. Bennett and estimated cost £700. 

On 29 June 1932 a third permit was issued to Walker for Town Section 212, this time for a service station on the corner of Morley Street and Devon Street West.  

Initially all built on one level, in 1934 plans were drawn up by the firm of Messenger and Taylor for first floor residential flats, consolidating the structure into the building we see today. Plans for this first-floor addition are held in the archives at Puke Ariki (ARC 2009-156). The Borough Council granted permission for the work to go ahead on 30 January 1935. The work was completed by A.O. Brown, and the estimated value was £2,100.

The health food shop 'Down to Earth' occupied the corner shop for a number of years. 

Related items:

Town Section 212, Taranaki Land Deed Index I3 Page 276. (Archives New Zealand)

Taranaki DP4623 Sheet 1 (1924), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Taranaki (Lot 2) DP8510 Sheet 1 (1959), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)