Mrs Cooper's Cottage, 49 Gilbert Street (circa 1880s-90s)

It is thought that the first cottage on this part of Town Section 1058 was originally constructed sometime between the 1840s and 1860s. A circa 1870 (undated) photograph shows the location of this cottage at the corner of this section - possibly outside the current property boundary. Skinner's 1880 map of New Plymouth also shows the cottage in this location. 

Whilst located on the corner of the section the cottage consisted of two gabled sections. The rear section appears to be clad in plain horizontal weatherboard with a small lean-to, whilst the front section has a different appearance and is possibly constructed of corrugated iron, vertical board and batten or slab. The front section was likely constructed first, with the rear horizontal weatherboard section added later.

Puke Ariki also holds a sketch of New Plymouth by Charles W. Wilson featuring the original cottage in the foreground - the sketch, dated 9 August 1871, is almost identical to the photograph, including tree heights, suggesting that the photograph was taken within a couple of years either side of 1871.

The current cottage was built/re-built/shifted to its current location near the middle of the section sometime after 1880 - probably in the 1890s. It is possible that parts of the old cottage were used to construct the present cottage (possibly the main East-West gable or front North-South gable), for the dimensions of this cottage are small even for an 1880s-1890s building. The smaller East-West gable was added in the 1970s-80s.

This small cottage, along with 35 and 37 Gilbert Street, contrast with the much larger Belgrave Cottage (circa 1858), located at 85 Gover Street, on a prominent hillside overlooking the Gilbert Street cottages. 

Related items:

Town Section 1058, Taranaki Land Deed Index I3 Page 204.

Mrs Cooper's Cottage, 49 Gilbert Street New Plymouth, Draft Heritage Assessment (Hamish Crimp, 2019)