Efforts to preserve a historic building in a Clyde street have been put on hold due to the lack of specialised engineers in the region.
The old stone building on Matau St sits behind the Alexandra Bridge Club headquarters and is more than 125 years old, although the exact age still remains a mystery.
Owned by the bridge club, it needs conservation engineers to assess its structure so any strengthening done is sympathetic to its heritage status.
Promote Dunstan committee member Karin Bowen said the only two specialist engineers in the region were busy, and efforts to source one further afield had been fruitless.
A conservation plan is in place but cannot go further until an engineer can be found.
Secretary Louise Joyce said it was imperative something was done before the building fell down.
''It's quite significant to the Clyde historic area.''
The building is listed on the Central Otago District Council heritage register but does not have a Heritage New Zealand classification.
Heritage New Zealand area manager Jonathan Howard said although it did not have a classification, any work carried out on property that dated before 1900 might need an archaeological authority.
Bridge club president Jean Bonsor said the building had fallen into disrepair over the years due to the club's lack of funds.
Records showed it was built sometime before 1890 but its original purpose and who built it remained a mystery.
Mrs Bowen said it had been claimed as a bank or hotel, but that was not the case.
The land was originally owned by the Crown and then the first Clyde school in 1863.
It was later bought by the owner of the Port Phillip Hotel, and it had been suggested the building was put up for additional accommodation.
She hoped someone would come forward with information to help solve the mystery of its origins.
In the late 1980s, the building was used as a set for the movie Illustrious Energy, for which a concrete floor and bar were installed.
Ms Joyce said construction of the set had further damaged the building but at the time there was no knowledge of its historical value.
She said the street-facing cottage had no electricity or plumbing, which might suggest it was built very early.
Promote Dunstan would contribute to the restoration project but most of the money would come from various fundraising activities.
Ms Joyce said there was no figure on how much it would cost until they received an engineer's report. She said the protection and preservation of heritage sites in the Dunstan area was a focus of the group.
