The 1995 N.P.D.C. CBD Heritage Study states that the premises of the plumbing merchants, E.C.Hayton, made up of two 1920s reinforced concrete buildings, were originally built for separate firms.
"The first was the eastern one for E.C. Hayton and Co. was built about 1922. This was followed by the western building for Bellringer Bros Ltd, a firm of painters, glaziers and paperhangers. This was later taken over by Hayton and Co."
The architects for Bellringer Bros were Messenger, Griffiths and Taylor. A permit was issued to Mrs F.C. Bellringer (wife of the late Fred Bellringer) on 15 October, 1926 for a building on Gill Street. It seems likely this is the above building; the builder was Frank Cooper and the estimated cost £1,300.
A permit was issued on March 29 1924 to E.C. Hayton to erect a building on town section 876. The builder was A. Brown and the estimated cost of £2,500. This makes the date of completion more likely to be 1924 or 1925, rather than 1922. It is thought that Hayton's purchased the section from New Plymouth Sash and Door Company. Architect for Hayton building is unknown.
(Both buildings were demolished in June/July 2016 - "The Metrotel" is now on the site)
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