Wesleyan/Methodist Parsonage (former), 46 Princess Street (1884)

This attractive villa was constructed in 1884 as a Wesleyan Parsonage - the building was designed by Waitara architect Edward (Ed) Wickham.

It seems the impetus for building a parsonage at Waitara was the appointment of the Rev. T. Fee in 1883 - Fee was married with children, and thus a parsonage large enough for his family was required. 

The parsonage was constructed on 4 acres of land in Princess Street (formerly Ngatimaru Road), in the east of Waitara. The land on which the parsonage was constructed was owned by Samuel Joll, a key person connected with the establishment of the Weslayan/Methodist church in Waitara. 

In late August and early September 1884, prominent Waitara architect Ed Wickham called for tenders for the erection of a Wesleyan Parsonage at Waitara - the substantial eight-roomed parsonage had a construction cost of £430.

In 1913 the Primitive Methodist Church joined with the Wesleyan Methodist Church to form the Methodist Church of New Zealand, and a new, more conveniently located parsonage was constructed on the corner of Gold and Mouatt Streets about 1909?. The old parsonage then became surplus to requirements, and the property was sold to Mr Carmichael in 1917, with the property remaining in the Carmichael family for several decades. 

Note that a construction date of 1883 has been given by several sources - this is the construction date given in a 1975 publication commemorating the centennial of the Waitara Methodist Church (see linked), and seems to have been adopted in later publications. 

See: Taranaki Land Deeds Index I11, page 70

Books

A Centennial Survey of the Waitara Methodist Church: 1875 - 1975, Surrey, A K (1975)