Caccia Birch House in Palmerston North temporarily closed

Caccia Birch House in Palmerston North is temporarily closed while the first floor is strengthened. Photo / ManawatuNZ.co.nz

Palmerston North’s Caccia Birch House is closed for up to four months after an investigation into a squeaky floorboard found something more challenging.

The Hokowhitu house is believed to have been built in 1895 for Norwegian sawmiller Jacob Nannestad and his family. Palmerston North City Council now owns the property and it is available to hire for conferences, meetings and weddings.

In June 2022, the council’s property team investigated a squeaking floorboard on the first floor, strategic facilities manager Chris Smith said.

It was discovered that contractors installing pipes and wiring for fire sprinklers had notched all the joists to run the pipes through.

This work reduced the load capacity of the floor so engineers did a structural assessment of what the load capacity should be, Smith said.

The number of people allowed in the Awhina Room was reduced as a result.

Strengthening the first floor has involved taking up all the floorboards. Steel plates are being bolted together on either side of the joists.

Smith said it was a substantial piece of work but would make the floor “extremely strong” and up to the expected standard for the venue.

“What we have here is a house which was designed for a family and then we try to pump 100 people in here for events so those two things don’t necessarily align.”

The work started on March 18 and is scheduled to be completed by July 11.

Insulation is being installed under the floorboards, spotlights have been replaced with LED lights, and automatic closers added to the fire doors.

While it was unfortunate the council had to temporarily close the house, it will operate better when it reopens.

“This is one of the challenges you have when you have what is literally a house and then you try and make it something for masses of people to come in and enjoy. Houses aren’t built for a hundred people even when they are as big and grand as this one is.”

The builders of the house would have expected to have maybe 10 people living on the first floor, not 100 people dancing at a wedding, Smith said.

The first floor of Caccia Birch House in Palmerston North is being strengthened.

The four staff have been taking extended annual leave while continuing to answer inquiries, take bookings and maintain the grounds.

The team leader has returned to England and has not been replaced yet.

The project is being run by the council’s project manager. Colspec Construction is doing the majority of the work but other contractors have also been required, such as those who took down the chandeliers so they weren’t damaged during the strengthening.

The public is welcome to walk through the grounds off Caccia Birch Lane; dogs on leads are welcome.

The council’s draft Long-Term Plan has budgeted $6 million to seismically strengthen Caccia Birch House in year 10.

The plan also proposes $54,000 to prepare a master plan in the next financial year and $20,000 to review the delivery of Caccia Birch’s service model.

For developing a website $10,000 is budgeted for in the next financial year and $10,000 for each of the next three financial years for renewing signs.

Judith Lacy has been the editor of the Manawatū Guardian since December 2020. She graduated from journalism school in 2001 and this is her second role editing a community paper.