30 Jun 2017

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The owners of an old vicarage designed by the same architect who oversaw construction of the Christ Church Cathedral want to give the building a new lease of life.

They have applied to Christchurch City Council for a Heritage Incentive Grant to help meet the $1.1 million cost of repairing and strengthening the former Vicarage of the Church of St Luke the Evangelist.

The former vicarage of the Church of St Luke the Evangelist.

The former vicarage of the Church of St Luke the Evangelist.

The vicarage, in Kilmore St, was built in 1867 and designed by Robert Speechly, an architect who came to Christchurch with his pupil William Crisp to oversee the construction of the Anglican cathedral.

The land the vicarage was built on has high spiritual significance for Maori as it is believed to be the final resting place of renowned Ngai Tahu chief, Tautahi.

The original vicarage that Speechly designed was extended in 1879 into a grand house with servant quarters and a central entrance hall with a striking timber staircase.

It was home to successive vicars of St Luke’s until 1994. From then until the earthquakes, it was used as the administration centre for the Inter-Church Trade and Industry Mission.

The building was badly damaged in the quakes and boarded up, but last year the Anglican Church Property Trustees sold it. The new owners want to use the building as their family home but face a bill of more than $1.1 million for the repair and strengthening work needed to bring the building up to a habitable standard.

On Wednesday the Council’s Social and Community Development Committee will consider a report which recommends giving the builder’s owners a Heritage Incentive Grant of up to $204,892.

The Committee will also consider reports which recommend:

  • The Council approve a Heritage Incentive Grant of up to $40,920 for maintenance work on The Canterbury Club at 129 Cambridge Tce.
  • The Council approve a Heritage Incentive Grant of up to $44,900 for the conservation, maintenance and upgrade of the heritage building at 28 Dublin St, Lyttelton.
  • The Council approve a Heritage Incentive Grant of up to $28,253 for the conservation, maintenance and upgrade of the heritage building at 26 Godley Quay, Lyttelton