Willowfield, 37 Cameron Street (1863)

Willowfield on Cameron Street is one of New Plymouth's oldest settler homes. It was built about 1863 by Thomas & Grace Hirst who had emigrated from England in 1851. 

The home is known as the 'Hen' in the group of homes colloquially called the 'Hen and Chickens'. Thomas and Grace had five almost identical houses built on Pendarves Street for five of their children. These 'Chickens' are more well-known than this house due to their prominent location. Willowfield, in contrast, is positioned down a driveaway, obscured from view after a previous owner subdivided the section and had a house erected in front of the original residence. 

In the 1880s one of their daughters Harriet, married to Albert Fookes (the second mayor of New Plymouth), moved with her family into Willowfield. Thomas Hirst died in 1883 and Grace in 1901, by which time she was living in one of the cottages in Pendarves Street. Albert and Harriet lived in Willowfield until they died in 1916 and 1918 respectively. The house stayed in the family until 1958.

In the early 1960s Willowfield was converted into four self-contained flats. The obstetrician Arthur Brooks and his wife Victoria bought the home about 1980 and set about returning Willowfield to a family home. After 34 years in the house, they placed it on the market in 2014. 

Registered as a Category 2 Historic Place with Heritage New Zealand.

Related items:

Town Sections 1697 and 1696, Taranaki Land Deed Index Pages 346 & 347. (Archives New Zealand)

Taranaki (Part Lot 14) DP3748 Sheet 1 (1919), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Taranaki DP8287 Sheet 1 (1957), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Trust plans to buy house foiled (Taranaki Herald 2 August 1978)

Hen and Chickens get historical recognition (Daily News 3 August 1994)