Mission House facts for kids
The Mission House in Kerikeri, New Zealand, is a very old and important building. It was finished in 1822. It was part of the Kerikeri Mission Station, built by a group called the Church Missionary Society. This house is New Zealand's oldest building that is still standing today! It is also sometimes called Kemp House.
Contents
Building New Zealand's Oldest House
The story of the Mission House began with Samuel Marsden. He started an Anglican mission in New Zealand. An Anglican mission is like a church group that helps people and shares its beliefs. Marsden brought along lay preachers. These were people who taught about Christianity but were not priests. They lived in the Bay of Islands. A powerful local chief named Hongi Hika from the Ngāpuhi tribe protected them.
In November 1819, Samuel Marsden bought a large area of land from the Ngāpuhi people. It was about 53 square kilometers (13,000 acres).
Building the Mission Station
Marsden asked a Reverend named John Gare Butler to build the mission station. They chose a spot near the Ngāpuhi's fort, or Pā, called Kororipo at Kerikeri. Marsden, along with Thomas Kendall and Hongi Hika, then left for Britain.
John Butler used both Māori and skilled European workers to build the Mission House. It was the main building of the station. It was finished by 1822. Building was not always easy. At one point, Kendall and Hongi Hika returned with many muskets. Muskets were a type of gun. Kororipo Pā was then used as a base for the Ngāpuhi tribe's fighting during the Musket Wars. These were a series of battles between different Māori tribes.
What the House Looked Like
John Butler's house was a two-story building. It was built in the Georgian style, which was popular at the time. It had wooden boards on the outside and two chimneys. The main wood used was Kauri, a very strong New Zealand tree.
Over the years, the house changed a bit. In the 1830s, a small addition called a "skilling" was built. In 1843, the front porch, called a verandah, was made bigger. Later, in the 1920s, a bathroom was added behind the kitchen.
Who Lived in the House?
John Butler was removed from his job in 1823. After him, a man named George Clarke lived in the house until the early 1830s. By this time, the Ngāpuhi people had left Kororipo Pā. But the mission station was strong enough that it no longer needed the fort's protection.
The Kemp Family's Home
In 1832, James Kemp and Charlotte Kemp moved into the house. At first, it was still part of the growing mission. The mission also included the Stone Store, another important building nearby.
Later, the Kemp family bought the house. It stayed in their family for a very long time – 142 years! In 1974, Ernest Kemp, a member of the family, gave the house to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. This organization is now called Heritage New Zealand.
The Mission House Today
The Mission House is very important to New Zealand's history. On June 23, 1983, it was added to the New Zealand Historic Places Category 1 list. This means it is a place of great historical importance.
Heritage New Zealand has worked to restore the building. They made it look similar to how it did in 1843. Today, the Mission House and the Stone Store are both museums. You can visit them and learn about their history!
Images for kids
-
Rear view showing gardens
-
After a century and a half the name officially changed from Kemp House to Mission House, but an early sign still remains, although it is deteriorating in the weather
