Linwood House, Heritage building in Christchurch City, New Zealand
Linwood House was a late Georgian/Regency-style homestead at 30 Linwood Avenue in Linwood, Christchurch, built in 1857 for Joseph Brittan. It was a rare Canterbury example of that style and one of the city's oldest surviving houses. It was demolished in 2011 after earthquake damage.
The house was built in 1857 during the colonial settlement period and stands among the region's earliest substantial structures. Its construction reflects the building methods and materials that English settlers brought to the area.
Joseph Brittan named the farm and house Linwood after his home village of Linwood in Hampshire, and the Christchurch suburb took the name from the property. Music featured in the household: Sophia Brittan brought her piano from England, and Joseph carried a portable harmonium over the Bridle Path to play with a group in Lyttelton. The family attended Holy Trinity Avonside, where daughter Mary sang in the choir.
Linwood House stood at 30 Linwood Avenue in Linwood, about 2 km east of Cathedral Square, on a section reduced by subdivision to 2,013 m². The building was demolished in the second half of 2011 after the earthquakes, so there is no interior to visit; the address marks the former homestead site.
The house was demolished in the second half of 2011 after Civil Defence ordered its removal following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, so no interior fixtures survive. Its 2,013 m² section is all that remains of a holding that once reached 110 acres. The suburb of Linwood takes its name from Brittan's farm, which he named after Linwood in Hampshire.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,424 contributors worldwide.