Fairfield House, Nelson facts for kids
Fairfield House is a special historic home located at 48 Van Diemen Street in Nelson, New Zealand. It's so important that Heritage New Zealand has listed it as a Category I building. This means it's one of the most significant historic places in the country!
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The Story of Fairfield House
Fairfield House has a long and interesting history. The very first house on this spot was built in 1849. But the house you see today was built a bit later, in 1872. It was made for a man named Arthur Atkinson. He was an important person who helped make laws for the country, which is what a politician does.
A Home for Students
For a while, Fairfield House became a boarding house for students. It was owned by Nelson College for Girls, and girls lived there while they went to school. Later, something big happened: the 1929 Murchison earthquake. This earthquake caused a lot of damage, and the hostel for boys at Nelson College was damaged too. So, some of the boys also moved into Fairfield House for a time.
Saving the House
In 1979, Fairfield House was given to the Nelson City Council. Sadly, there was a plan to knock it down! But many people in the community didn't want that to happen. A group of people came together to save the house. A person named Alan Stanton even moved into the old, empty building and started fixing it up himself. Thanks to these efforts, the house was saved!
Arthur Atkinson's Observatory
Arthur Atkinson, the man who built the house in 1872, had a very cool hobby: he loved studying the stars and planets! He was the brother of Harry Atkinson, who was a "Premier" (like a Prime Minister) of New Zealand. In 1883, Arthur had a special tower built onto his house. This tower was an "observation tower," which is like a small observatory.
He even helped the Royal Society, a famous group of scientists, with their work. They asked him to watch a rare event called the "transit of Venus" in 1882. This is when the planet Venus passes directly in front of the Sun. The original tower was taken down at one point, but a new one has been built to look just like it.
Fairfield House Today
Today, Fairfield House is a busy and important place for the community. It's used as a community centre, where people can gather for different activities and events. It's a great example of how a historic building can be saved and used for everyone to enjoy!
