Caccia Birch House in Palmerston North reopens to the public

The Awhina Room at Caccia Birch House is once again open for functions. Photo / Judith Lacy

Palmerston North historic house Caccia Birch has reopened one month earlier than planned.

Work to strengthen the floor framing and replace the floorboards of the upstairs Awhina Room started on March 18 and was scheduled to be completed by July 11. However, the builders finished at the end of May and on June 12 the Hokowhitu house was once again open for business.

In June 2022, Palmerston North City Council’s property team investigated a squeaking floorboard, 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, reducing the room’s load capacity.

To strengthen the floor framing, steel plates were bolted together on either side of the joists. A new floor was laid, as was new underlay, with insulation and sound dampening placed in the floor cavity.

The number of people allowed in the Awhina Room is now 100, up from the 50 imposed when it was discovered the floor was compromised, Smith said.

“It feels terribly secure now.”

The dip running at a right angle to the fireplace, where there used to be a wall separating bedrooms, has gone. When the house was a home, the space was two bedrooms and a nursery.

Smith said the room was no longer echoey and the improved acoustics meant speakers did not have to use a microphone. “You are just having a normal conversation and it doesn’t feel like you are in a big empty room.”

The balcony of Caccia Birch House provides a stunning view of Hokowhitu Lagoon in Palmerston North. Photo / Judith Lacy

The floor of the landing at the top of the stairs was also to be replaced but, when the builders lifted the boards, they found it didn’t need replacing. This reduced the timeframe and cost of the project, which meant other improvements such as laying carpet in a storage room and having curtains drycleaned could be done.

The Awhina Room has already been used since it was reopened and bookings are coming in for weddings. “This room is a popular room, people enjoy being in here.”

A new sign on Te Awe Awe St welcoming visitors to the house and grounds has been installed.

Pre-arranged guided tours of the house with refreshments cost $5 a head.

Dogs on leads are welcome outside.

“We want people to use it like a park and to enjoy this space because it’s lovely and you don’t have to contend with duck poo,” Smith said.

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.