Road workers uncover link to past

Road workers yesterday uncovered what is thought to be the basement of an 1860s hotel under this...
Road workers yesterday uncovered what is thought to be the basement of an 1860s hotel under this Caversham building. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Road workers in Caversham, Dunedin, yesterday uncovered what appears to be a link to one of the city's earlier hotels.

Dunedin City Council project engineer Evan Matheson said the council was replacing kerbing on the northern side of South Rd, when the entrance to what was described as a "bluestone basement" was discovered on the footpath outside what is now a takeaway shop.

The council and a member of the public contacted the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, and Otago-Southland regional archaeologist Matt Schmidt investigated.

Mr Schmidt said he found a basement underneath the building, which had walls made of bluestone and a brick archway.

His research yesterday showed the building appeared to have been the Edinburgh Castle hotel, which he understood to have been on the site from 1861.

The basement, which he described as "a really good find", would probably have been used to store beer.

Records showed a John Feger had applied for a publican's licence at the site in 1862.

The bluestone construction suggested an 1860s or 1870s design.

Mr Schmidt said he would write a New Zealand Archeological Association site record form for the site, which would be stored on the ArchSite website.

The building was "very interesting", Mr Schmidt said, and at one time had five double bedrooms, 10 single rooms and a 10-stall stable.

A butcher's shop operated on the site until 1979.

david.loughrey@odt.co.nz

 

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