Renton Hardware building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Renton Hardware building |
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Renton Hardware building in 2020
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| General information | |
| Type | Commercial |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Address | 21 Hamilton Street |
| Town or city | Hokitika |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 42°43′7.44″S 170°57′42.08″E / 42.7187333°S 170.9616889°E |
| Opened | 1908 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Plastered brick |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Arthur Griffin |
| Main contractor | Stevenson and McMillan |
| Designated: | 21 September 1989 |
| Reference #: | 5050 |
The Renton Hardware building, also called the Okitiki building, is a business building in Hokitika, New Zealand. Hokitika is on the West Coast of the South Island. This building was finished in 1908. It was designed by an architect named Arthur Griffin. He also designed the Carnegie library nearby. In 1989, the Renton building was recognized as a historic place by Heritage New Zealand. It was given a Category 2 status, meaning it has special historical importance.
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A Look Back: The Building's History
The story of the Renton Hardware building began with a blacksmith named James Renton. In the 1870s, he bought the Coach and Horses Hotel in Hokitika. He used the ground floor for his business, Renton and Company. This company grew to sell iron goods and other items. The upper floor of the old hotel became his family's home.
Why a New Building Was Needed
As Renton and Company became more successful, they bought more land next to their shop. In 1898, James Renton passed the business to his six sons. He still helped manage it. By 1906, the company needed a much bigger space. They decided to build a new, larger brick building to help their growing business.
Designing the Renton Hardware Building
A young architect named Arthur Griffin was chosen to design the new building. Griffin was only 22 years old at the time. He had recently won a competition to design the new Carnegie library in Hokitika. This library was going to be built right across the street from the Renton building.
Building the New Shop
Builders were asked to submit plans for the new Renton building in June 1907. Local builders Stevenson and McMillan won the job. They finished building the new shop and warehouse the next year. In January 1908, a local newspaper called the West Coast Times said the building looked very impressive. They believed it would be one of the best business places on the West Coast.
What the Building Looks Like
The Renton Hardware building has two floors and is made of brick covered in plaster. It has a rectangular shape. The design style is called neoclassical. This style often uses ideas from ancient Greek and Roman buildings. The Renton building is more practical and less decorated than the Carnegie library Griffin designed. However, both buildings have special semi-circular arched windows with a stone in the middle, called a keystone. The Renton building's decorative ledges (cornices) are simpler than those on the library.
The Building Today
In 1945, the company officially became the Renton Hardware Company Limited. In 1989, the building was listed as a historic place by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now called Heritage New Zealand).
Saving a Historic Building
The Renton family still owned the building in 2015. They wanted to sell it to another company, Mitre 10. The plan was to knock down the building to make a car park. An engineer looked at the building and said it was not very strong. Fixing it could cost a lot of money. The local council approved the plan to demolish it.
However, some people did not want the building to be torn down. They took the case to the Environment Court. In August 2016, an agreement was reached. The people who wanted to save the building bought it from the Renton family. They wanted to protect it as part of a special heritage area.
New Life for the Okitiki Building
The new owners got their own report on the building's strength. They found it was stronger than first thought. They decided to rename it the Okitiki building. This name is an old way some early European settlers said "Hokitika." The new owners then worked to make the building stronger and protect it from water. They fixed the roof, made the top edges stronger, and replaced the porch. These changes made the building much safer and stronger.
