Charles Natusch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Tilleard Natusch
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Charles Natusch in c. 1900
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| Born |
Lewis Tilleard Natusch
4 October 1859 London, England
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| Died | 16 July 1951 (aged 91) Paraparaumu, New Zealand
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| Occupation | Architect |
Charles Natusch (born Lewis Tilleard Natusch on October 4, 1859 – died July 16, 1951) was a famous architect and quantity surveyor in New Zealand. He was especially known for designing amazing houses for rich families.
Contents
Growing Up and Starting Out
Charles Natusch grew up in London, England. There, he trained to become an architect. In 1882 and 1883, he traveled to the United States and Canada. After his travels, he returned to England.
On March 14, 1883, Charles married Ada Spencer in Kelvedon, Essex. He had similar ideas about politics as a famous woman named Angela Burdett-Coutts. She helped him get a big job planning a town area in Westcliff, Southend-on-Sea. His design for the Westward Ho Hotel came from this project. This was his last major work in England. In 1886, Charles, Ada, and their first two sons moved to New Zealand.
Building a Career in New Zealand
For the next 30 years, Natusch became very well-known in New Zealand. He worked mainly between Wellington and Hawke's Bay. He was famous for building beautiful houses in many different styles.
Some of his designs showed an Italian influence. An example is Bushy Park (built in 1905) near Wanganui. He also designed houses in the Tudor style, like Maungaraupi (built in 1906) in Marton.
Natusch often used local materials in his buildings. You can see this in Erewhon (1898) near Taihape. Other examples include Matapiro (1907) in Hawke's Bay and Atawhai (1908) in Palmerston North. He also brought new ideas to buildings for businesses and factories, as well as churches. Later, Natusch had his own architecture office in Napier. One of his students was a future architect named Louis Hay.
Family Life and Later Years
Charles and Ada Natusch had ten children together. Charles passed away on July 16, 1951, in Paraparaumu. He was 91 years old. His wife and eight of their children were still alive when he died.
Three of their sons, Aleck, Rene, and Stanley, followed in their father's footsteps. They also became architects and quantity surveyors. They continued the family business, calling it Natusch & Sons. Rene's son, Guy Natusch, kept the family business going until he retired around 1997.
Famous Buildings by Charles Natusch
Many of Charles Natusch's buildings are important historical sites. They are registered by Heritage New Zealand. Some later designs were done by C. Tilleard Natusch and Sons. It is not always clear if Charles Natusch himself was involved in these later projects.
Here are some of his notable works:
- 1884 Westward Ho Hotel, Southend-on-Sea (this building was taken down in 1965)
- 1890 Gwavas, Hawkes Bay (a very important historical building)
- 1892 Homebush, Masterton (an important historical building)
- 1898 Erewhon, Taihape
- 1900 Te Aute College Chapel
- 1901 Westella, Feilding
- 1903 Springvale, Tikokino (an important historical building)
- 1903 Silverford, Napier
- 1904 St John's Cathedral, Napier (destroyed in the 1931 earthquake)
- 1904 Rangiatea (Bulls)
- 1906 Bushy Park, Kai Iwi, Whanganui (a very important historical building)
- 1906 Wellington Stock Exchange
- 1906 St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Hastings (destroyed in the 1931 earthquake)
- 1906 Maungaraupi, Marton (a very important historical building)
- 1906 Shalimar, Palmerston North
- 1907 Matapiro, Hawkes Bay (a very important historical building)
- 1908 Atawhai, Palmerston North
- 1932 McGruer's Building, Napier (an important historical building)
- 1935 Kia Ora, Pahiatua (an important historical building)
