This house was probably constructed for architect John Arthur Maisey in 1901.
Maisey purchased Lot E of Town Belt A on 5 June 1901 - on the same day, Maisey placed an advertisement in the Taranaki Herald, calling for tenders for the construction of a cottage in Gaine Street. The builder is currently unknown.
Maisey sold the property to James Cartwright George in December 1901, and it was subsequently rented. Following the Death of George in March 1907, the house was purchased by William Salmon in December 1907. Salmon sold the property to John Skinner in April 1912, who on-sold it to Albert James Stansell in December 1914. George H. Old, a taxi-driver, purchased the property in October 1916, and added a 'motor garage' in January 1915 - G. Cliff was the builder, and the estimated cost was £50.
The house was purchased by Joseph McMahon in July 1918, and he retained ownership until September 1925, when the house was sold to C. Nodder. The property title was issued under The Land Transfer Act in 1927.
Despite its current condition, there is potential to restore this Maisey-designed home to its original condition for future generations to enjoy. Removal of the front addition, and also of the asbestos cladding to reveal the original rusticated weatherboard, along with the reinstatement of sash windows, would greatly enhance the aesthetic and heritage values of this home.
On the evening of Monday 20 August 2018, a tornado damaged the roof of this villa, with several sheets of corrugated steel torn off.
John Arthur Maisey was born in 1860 in Birmingham England, where he practiced for a number of years. He arrived in New Plymouth with his family in 1897 and farmed on Barrett Road for several years, selling his farm in June 1900, and moving into New Plymouth soon after. Maisey is not well known in New Plymouth, although he apparently designed a significant number of local buildings (most notably the 1904 New Plymouth Exhibition Buildings - a 'temporary' structure located on Poverty Flat/St Michael's Square), before shifting to Wellington in early 1905. In Wellington Maisey practiced in partnership with Henry Johns from 1905 until his retirement in 1908 - in just three years Maisey and John designed over 40 buildings.