Williams House Public Library - Paihia, Northland, New Zealand
S 35° 16.915 E 174° 05.522
60H E 235518 N 6091813
One of the original homes in Paihia has now been renovated and is the town's library.
Waymark Code: WMABW4
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 12/20/2010
Views: 5
Steeped in cultural significance, Williams House links back to 1823 and the arrival in Paihia of Henry Williams who established an Anglican mission station on the waterfront.
The property was originally purchased by the Northland Harbour Board in 1967 on condition it would be preserved intact as an open-space reserve and that Miss Mary Temple Williams (great-granddaughter of Henry Williams) had life tenancy. Until her death in 1993 Mary fiercely resisted alternative commercial proposals that might jeopardise the property's historic status or limit public access.
In the eight years it took for agreement to be reached on how best to utilise it, vandals executed a less than community spirited agenda: window panes were broken and the once elegant weather boards were scrawled with graffiti. Williams House looked so dilapidated, some wanted it demolished. When finally the decision was made to relocate Paihia's public library from the back room of a hall to the old homestead a painstaking restoration began.
Classification of Library: Public Library (Open to all)
Internet access available: Yes - Your Laptop: Free
Hours of Operation:
*Sunday: Closed
*Monday: 09:00 AM–01:00 PM, 01:30 PM–05:00 PM
*Tuesday: 09:00 AM–01:00 PM, 01:30 PM–05:00 PM
*Wednesday: 09:00 AM–01:00 PM, 01:30 PM–05:00 PM
*Thursday: 09:00 AM–01:00 PM, 01:30 PM–05:00 PM
*Friday: 09:00 AM–01:00 PM, 01:30 PM–05:00 PM
*Saturday: 09:00 AM–01:00 PM
Closed on public holidays
Approximate date of opening.: 01/01/2003
Library Website: [Web Link]
Additional Internet Connection Options: Not listed
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