This double-bay corner villa was constructed for prominent Fitzroy resident Oliver Johnson in 1904. The villa was originally located at 17 Barriball Street Fitzroy (NE corner of Sackville and Barriball Streets) and was relocated to its present location in 1991.
The home was designed by noted New Plymouth architect John Arthur Maisey, who called for tenders for "the erection of a residence at Fitzroy for O. Johnson Esq" in late August 1904.
Johnson was headmaster of the nearby Fitzroy School, and in October 1904 was given permission by the Taranaki Education Board to rent the Fitzroy School Teacher's Residence; Johnson prefering to live in his new home instead.
Architect John Arthur Maisey
Maisey was born in 1860 in Birmingham England, where he practiced for a number of years. He arrived in New Plymouth with his family in 1897 and farmed on Barrett Road for several years, selling his farm in June 1900, and moving into New Plymouth soon after. Maisey is not well known in New Plymouth, although he apparently designed a significant number of local buildings (most notably the 1904 New Plymouth Exhibition Buildings - a 'temporary' structure located on Poverty Flat/St Michael's Square), before shifting to Wellington in early 1905. In Wellington Maisey practiced in partnership with Henry Johns from 1905 until his retirement in 1908 - in just three years Maisey and John designed over 40 buildings.
Related items:
Fitzroy Suburban Sections (Part) 91 & 93, Taranaki Land Deed Index I1 Page 514. (Archives New Zealand)
Taranaki DP1831 Sheet 1 (1902), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)
Suburban Extension: The Fitzroy West Property (Taranaki Herald 2 May 1902)
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