The bench inside Foxton's old courthouse. Much of its original furnishing is still in place.
The bench inside Foxton's old courthouse. Much of its original furnishing is still in place.
Foxton Historical Society is on a roll and will be able to announce significant progress regarding the restoration of the old courthouse, which has been a key project for the organisation for a while.
Come to its annual general meeting to hear more about the real progress that has been made this year regarding its attempts to save Foxton’s historic courthouse.
Foxton's old courthouse: the future is looking up.
“Over many years, the Foxton community has strongly emphasised to both the society and the council that the courthouse is a key part of Foxton’s heritage and therefore should be restored and reopened to the public,” society co-chairman Jim Harper said.
Under present legislation the courthouse was designated an earthquake-prone building and therefore must be strengthened, Harper said. In recent months the council issued the society with a directive to not allow public access to the building because of this — a decision that was retracted allowing the old courthouse to be open over Easter weekend.
A few years ago the courthouse was put up for sale, leaving the historical society’s museum homeless.
Harper said last year, the society partnered with the Horowhenua District Council to commission a detailed seismic assessment of the Foxton courthouse. This work was done at the end of 2023 and a full report has been completed by Miyamoto Ltd. This report includes detailed specifications for the strengthening work needed to bring the building up to 80 per cent of National Building Standards, together with cost estimates.
Foxton's old courthouse: the original ceiling in the courtroom.
“As owner of the building, the Horowhenua District Council understandably wants to gauge the level of local support for the restoration project, as a basis for considering its own involvement in the project. The more Foxton people that will put their hands up for supporting this mission, the better”.
At the society’s AGM key issues and proposed next steps for restoring the courthouse will be discussed. Also, new nominations for positions on the committee will be invited.
“We need new committee members with skills and energy, so we can keep the momentum going as this project will require a lot of work to bring to fruition,” said Harper. Several sitting members are retiring and the society needs, among others, a new treasurer.
This is a great opportunity to help save an important historical building and without many hands to make light work, this will eventually stall.
You can sign up at the AGM or at the next open day. Membership is free.
