The "Red Boot Warehouse" (1882)

This two-storied wooden commercial building was constructed in late 1882; it is the oldest, and also the only wooden commercial building remaining on the north side of Devon Street between Liardet and Gover Streets. After Richard Cock's West End Store Building (1880), it is also the second oldest surviving commercial building in New Plymouth (note that the Egmont Mill building (1864), is classified as an industrial building).

William Spurdle was the recipient of the Crown Grant for Town Section 896. Land deed records show that the section was subdivided in December 1878 to create the small section which the current building at 71 Devon Street East is located; this subdivided section was purchased by William Hancock.

In the Taranaki Herald of 2 October 1882, James Sanderson placed an advertisement asking for tenders "for the erection of a two-storey shop and dwelling in Devon Street East, for Mr Hancock (labour only)" - based on the date of this advertisement, the design of the building, and the owner of the section in question, it is likely that this advertisement refers to the current building on this site. Skinner's 1880 map of New Plymouth does not indicate any structure on this part of Town Section 896, indicating a construction date after 1880. However, the building is clearly present on Skinner and Sole's 1884 map of central New Plymouth.

From about 1875 until 1909, William Hancock ran the well-known New Plymouth store the "Red Boot Warehouse". Initially Hancock leased premises elsewhere in Devon Street, and it wasn't until late 1894 that he moved the store into his building on Part Town Section 896. An advertisement in the Taranaki Herald from 20 November 1894 states that the Red Boot Warehouse will be relocating to premises "opposite the Old Curiosity Shop", where "having no landlord, he (William Hancock) is prepared to sell at the lowest prices for cash". The Old Curiosity Shop was owned by well-known curio-dealer James Butterworth, and land deed records reveal this was located on the western side of Town Section 914 - directly opposite Town Section 896. 

Prior to Hancock occupying the building in 1894, a Mrs Croucher occupied the building for an unknown period of time and is listed as the occupier on Skinner and Sole's 1884 map. Following Hancock's death, the building remained part of his deceased estate until purchased by Frederick Samuel Butler (father of local historian Frederick Burdett Butler), who was the owner at the time the property title was issued under the Land Transfer Act in 1920; the building remained in the Butler family for several decades.

This building is thus one of the oldest on this section of Devon Street, one of only a handful of surviving nineteenth century two-storied wooden buildings that once characterised the Devon Street streetscape, and one of the earliest surviving buildings designed by prominent New Plymouth architect James Sanderson.

Early images reveal the building was originally erected without veranda - the present stayed veranda was erected in 1926, with a permit granted for 'alterations to shop front' on 1 August 1926. 'Haynes' was the builder for this work and the estimated construction cost was £80.

Town Section 896, Taranaki Land Deeds Index I1 page 314 and I5 page 494.

Related plans:

Taranaki DP616 Sheet 1 (1893), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Taranaki DP3824 Sheet 1 (1919), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)