Hannah's building, Greymouth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hannah's building |
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Hannah's building in 2011
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| General information | |
| Type | Commercial |
| Architectural style | Pared back neoclassical |
| Address | Corner of Mackay and Tainui Streets |
| Town or city | Greymouth |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 42°26′55.8″S 171°12′40.7″E / 42.448833°S 171.211306°E |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Plastered brick |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Henry Johns |
| Designated: | 21 September 1989 |
| Reference #: | 5062 |
The Hannah's building is an old shop building in Greymouth, a town on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It was finished in 1928. A famous architect from Wellington, Henry Johns, designed it. In 1989, this building was recognized as a special historic place by Heritage New Zealand.
Building History
An Irish person named Robert Hannah started his shoe-making business in Charleston in 1868. When gold mining slowed down, he moved his business to Wellington. There, he opened his first shoe shop in 1874.
His business, R. Hannah and Company, grew very quickly. They opened their first shop in Greymouth in 1887. By 1900, the company had 10 stores across the North Island of New Zealand.
Building Design
In the 1920s, the main shopping area in Greymouth started to move. It shifted from Mawhera Quay to Mackay Street. In 1926, plans were made for a new two-story building for Hannah's. It would be built on the corner of Mackay and Tainui Streets.
The architect, Henry Johns, had already designed a large factory for Hannah's in Wellington. That factory was made of plastered brick and finished in 1923. The Greymouth building was one of the last projects Johns worked on before he died in 1928.
The new Hannah's building in Greymouth had two shops inside. It was built with strong double-brick walls covered in plaster. It had concrete foundations and a corrugated iron roof. The building was finished by 1928.
The outside of the building looks like a simple version of neoclassical style. This style uses ideas from ancient Greek and Roman buildings. The building has three sections of windows on its two street sides. Each section has three windows. Above these windows are curved tops called pediments. Next to them are flat columns called pilasters. The top and bottom edges of the building's wall, called the parapet, are decorated with cornices.
Today's Status
In 1989, the Hannah's building was officially listed as a Category 2 historic place. This was done by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (which is now called Heritage New Zealand). Even today, a Hannah's shoe shop still operates on the ground floor of the building.
