This cottage is an important historic structure in the context of the street. It is among the oldest timber structures remaining on Abel Smith Street and is an important survivor of the era in which it was built. It is one of several small cottages on Abel Smith Street that make up a small precinct of similar cottages. They are relatively typical of the working class housing that was once predominant in this part of Te Aro.
The site that this house occupies was originally part of town acre 117, one of the original 11oo town sections created during the settlement of Wellington. This section was owned by Algernon Tollemache and remained intact until 1874 when it was subdivided by then owner David Anderson. Section 1387, which is the site that 110 Abel Smith Street now occupies, was divided off and sold on the 11th of May 1875.
The first owner was James Lawrence who owned the property for eight to ten years before briefly transferring it to his wife Rebekah Lawrence. The house was sold in 1886 to James Bull, who lived in it until 1891 when it was let out to number of tenants, including Samuel Morris who also ran his hairdressing business from the house.
In 1901 the ownership of the house changed hands and remained in that ownership until 1917. During this time the house was occupied by Andrew Reid, a commerce agent. In early 1917 Louise Barton purchased the property and owned it until 1946. Barton lived there alone, in later years taking in other people as well, presumably boarders.
Between 1946 and 1953 several people owned the section before Jane Staples and Ellen Molloy equally purchased the house. Following the death of Jane Staples in 1955, Molloy became the sole owner of the property. During this time the house had been tenanted by John Duignan, however in 1965 the owner, Mrs Molloy, moved into the house. Following the death of Mrs Molloy, the property was held by the Public Trustee after it was claimed in 1967 by the Crown for ‘better utilisation in the City of Wellington’.
In 1986 the property was returned to private ownership when it was purchased by Derek Christensen, Christopher Phillips, Henry Keenan, and William Grant. In 1987 the property was transferred to Mezzanine Construction Limited. In 1993 the house was sold to Abel Smith Properties, which sold it the following year to Helen Watt, Barbara Palmes, Patricia Whitman, and Brian Thompson. In 2008 the house was transferred to Ross Alexander Stephenson and Moana Trustees Limited.
Early in its history, this house was listed as 80 Abel Smith Street with this remaining the address until 1909, when the addresses in Abel Smith Street were changed resulting in the change to 110. There is no direct evidence available dating the construction of this house, but council rate books show that there was a no house prior to 1875 but there was a dwelling on the property from 1876 onwards. The 1891 Thomas Ward map of Wellington also shows the building in place amongst an established area of dwellings.
A number of additions and alterations have been made to this house, although there are no records or permits in the Wellington City Archive, some of which are visible from the street, but most are not. The only listed changed to the house occurred in 1994, when the house was completely re-piled and the fireplaces and chimneys were completely removed. Between 2007 and 2013 the house has been painted a dark grey/blue, and a new fence has been built up to the property boundary with the street. It appears that a gate has also been constructed that gives access to the rear of the property down a narrow side alley. Plans dated to 2007 detail this work.
