L.A. Nolan Building (1910)

A permit was issued on 29 January 1910 for this building on the corner of Liardet and Gill Streets. The warehouse was built for L. A. Nolan and Co Ltd. by Mr R. W. Bond at an estimated cost of £1,100, with the architects being local partnership Sanderson & Griffiths. The first sale was held in the new building on 11 May 1910 and the Taranaki Daily News described the building in some detail.

The building is constructed of camerated concrete - basically a hollow concrete wall constructed by pouring concrete into wooden moulds, and then removing the cores when the concrete has set to create a hollow wall similar to that created by the use of hollow concrete blocks. The walls are reinforced with steel mesh and vertical steel bars. Camerated concrete construction was pioneered in Australia, and was popular in New Zealand from about 1908 until 1920. It was touted as a revolutionary construction method, and was popular because it was fire proof, eliminated dampness, and was relatively quick and cheap to use.

The Nolan building is significant for being the first building in New Plymouth (and possibly Taranaki) to be constructed from camerated concrete; and likely the only camerated concrete building to survive in New Plymouth. It is also one of only a few two-storied camerated concrete buildings known to survive in New Zealand. The building is located on a prominent corner, and was occupied by well known New Plymouth firm L.A Nolan for over half a century. 

On 27 March 1975 the Taranaki Herald reported on the closure of Nolan's auction mart in Devon Street. The first hide sale had taken place in 1910 and the last on 8 August 8 1972. An article in the Taranaki Herald on 22 January 1976 reported that a nightclub was to be opened in the building. This was confirmed by a spokesman for the owners, Maui Holdings, Mr J.F. Luxton of Urenui. It's unknown if this went ahead.

In more recent times the antique shop "Blue Moon" was located in this building. It closed about 2006. The building is now (2023) occupied by Escape, a skate store and coffee outlet.