32 Matai Street (1894-95)

Inglewood Town Sections 277 and Part 287, on which this building is located, were acquired by Inglewood businessman William Henry Franklyn in 1879 from surgeon Leonard St George. Soon after purchasing these sections, Franklyn set about constructing a number of commercial buildings on the then vacant sections, with these buildings then rented-out/leased by Franklyn to a number of tenants.

These first buildings survived until 14 October 1894, when a devastating fire engulfed all the buildings between the Inglewood Hotel and the old Bank of New Zealand on the west side of Matai Street (then Mountain Road); all of the buildings except one was owned by Franklyn. 

Despite Franklyn's losses, just one month after the devastating fire, during November 1894, it was reported that a start had been made on the construction of a new building for Mr Franklyn (the present building on the site), to replace those latterly destroyed by the fire; they were said to be a great improvement on the previous buildings on the site. The new building is thought to have been completed during January 1895, when Mr Franklyn asked the Inglewood Borough Council for permission to erect a veranda over the footpath in front of his new building. 

The present building can be seen in a watercolour painting of Inglewood by Christopher Aubrey, dated 1896 and presently held by Puke Ariki Museum in New Plymouth (A96.982); this is the earliest known view of the building.

The present building contains two shop premises, although it was originally double this size with four separate shop premises; the northern two shop premises were demolished in the late-1950s to make way for an extension to Newton King's store (now occupied by Hammer Hardware). 

Neither the present building, nor the previous buildings on this site, were occupied by Franklyn himself, but rather rented out to various tenants. Franklyn's own store (constructed soon after the founding of Inglewood in 1876-77) was situated in another two-storied building (demolished 1978), located further north along Matai Street, near the site of the now also demolished old post office (now occupied by a pocket park and known as Fritz Reuter Place).

The southern shop in the remaining portion of the 1894-95 building seems to have been occupied by a bakery for much of its early life. It was operated by Edward Lever until November 1896, when the business was purchased by A. Lile. On 21 October 1903, Mr Smith, from Auckland, took possession of the bakery business, and remained until 1910, when Mr Cramer took over. R. Pennington opened a drapery and boot store in the northern-most surviving shop on 1 March 1897. 

The buildings were purchased from W H Franklyn during 1896 by the well-known Stratford firm of Messrs Curtis Bros, with a government valuation roll complied in 1904 listing Charles Stewart Curtis and Oswald Maberly Curtis as the owners. This valuation roll notes that "1 building divided into 4 shops, one with bakehouse" was present on Section 277 and Part Section 287 at the time, with the property having a capital value of £1520. It is unclear if Messrs Curtis Bros ever operated from the building.

In 1921, the buildings were purchased by Inglewood land agent Ivey Melville Kidd, who had the property subdivided into two allotments in 1926 (See DP4749). 

A fire block plan of Inglewood produced in 1934 and now held by Puke Ariki (ARC2001-383), lists the occupiers of the four shops (south-north) as follows: Radich (Fish Shop), J. Dobson (Grocer), A. Lorner (Tea Rooms) & J. Rivett (Fruit Shop).

Many original features on the facade (including moulded timber cornice, parapet decoration, timber sash windows and post and beam veranda) have been lost, with the original weatherboard cladding now covered with fibre cement board. 

References: CT TN10-213; CT TN31-143; DP4749