Jun 23, 2009

1903 Horse Bazaar For Sale


Facing on to Lichfield & Madras Streets and Bedford Row, Harry Matson's 1903 Horse Bazaar is on the market for about $1.7million.

Harry's grandad had founded Henry Matson & Co Ltd in 1862 as Auctioneers, Stock and Station Agents, Wool Brokers, Grain and Produce Merchants but by the time that the horse auction premises were built, most the company's business was being conducted at the Addington Saleyards. Alas Henry junior failed to anticipate that the demand for horses would wane as mechanised transport became increasingly ubiquitous. But situated at the heart of the city's wholesale produce markets, the former bazaar soon became the auction rooms of the produce merchants Davis Trading Company Ltd.

The wholesale produce market eventually moved from the central city and the old auction rooms went into decline, being subsequently used for storage, with the mezzanine occupied as an artist's studio, but in the 1990s the building succumbed to a fire, remaining derelict until 2000, when Peter Beyere renovated the building, with a Christchurch City Council grant, as a café-bar style cabaret dance hall called Maximillian.

Later known as the Legends Bar and more recently as The Bedford, the current lease will terminate in November 2010. The 937 square metre building is now owned by property investor and developer Simon Henry, who trades as Rapaki Properties. Mr Henry is selling his 15 Christchurch properties to concentrate on Auckland industrial property.


Further reading:
TradeMe sale advertisment

Rapaki getting out of town, The Press 16 June 2009

3 comments:

Jayne said...

Gorgeous building!

Tried to comment on the third Worcester St Bridge but my pc is having conniptions - love the bridge, it's so picturesque!
Bridge designers just don't make them as photo worthy as that any more!

Marcus Castell said...

Looked positively bucolic in that era, but by the mid 1880s the old wooden bridges in the city were reaching the end of their design lifespan - the next bridge, at Gloucester Street, had to be propped up in 1878 with piers under its centre.

Unknown said...

i was wondering if this a triple brick contstructed building?