From Convent to Mission to Convent

This building has provided me with a blip on a number of occasions now. In the late 19th century, the Grey Lynn Roman Catholic parish established a school, a church and a convent on Great North Road. The original buildings have all been replaced, on the same site. Initially, the convent was a large two story wooden building which had been re-erected after having been moved from nearby Turakina Street. In 1921 it was burned down, without any loss of life. Two days after the fire, the parish Priest (Father Holbrook) began fund raising. On Sunday 27 November 1921 the foundation stone of a new St Josephs Convent was laid by His Excellency the Apostolic Delegate, Most Reverend Dr Cattaneo, and within 12 months the building was completed. 

It was designed as a residence for the nuns and 50 boarders. There was also a chapel within the building, with a fine marble altar. The convent was used for boarders until the 1960s. From then until the late 1980s it was used by the nearby St Joseph’s school. In the 1990s it fell into disuse, until bought by a speculator, who used it as a low cost boarding house (known as The Mission) which was left to deteriorate. Many homeless persons used it intermittently. 

The owner made no repairs, and never dealt with the vermin which  ran freely in the communal kitchen and bathroom facilities. Eventually the City Council ordered him to attend to matters or be prosecuted, and some work was done. He found a buyer and the house was closed.

Scaffolding went up many months later. Just over a year ago, it became obvious that the work was to restore the building. Today I saw that it is now renamed The Convent and is a 'Boutique Hotel'. Whether it has started to take customers, I don't know. 

(A couple of my links are for photos posted as extras)