Dwarfed by large buildings housing the wares of national chains, it provides a fitting contrast between what Oamaru once was and is now.
Inside, Dr Ron Sim's father, Douglas, began manipulating the bodies of Oamaru people 80 years ago.
The building has been modernised, yet reminders of Dr Sim's childhood spent in his father's young chiropractic practice remain.
A thin corridor of sorts adjoining the treatment room, packed with rows of precisely stacked files, is where Ron, a former six-year deputy mayor of Oamaru, and his brother, Alan, slept as children.
And the reception area, barely large enough to fit a double bed, is where his parents once lay their heads.
His father began the practice in 1931 after travelling to the United States to study in 1929 during the Great Depression.
He began the Eden St practice on his return and ran the business until 1965, when Ron, who had worked alongside his father since 1963 after returning, like his father before him, with a Doctorate of Chiropractic from Lincoln Chiropractic College in Indianapolis.
Over the years, from the villa, the family has eagerly watched the progression of the district.
"Oamaru has been kind to us," Dr Sim said.
"It's always been a good rural service town but it's become a much better place."
Hydro developments, an intensification of farming due to increased irrigation and improvements in roading and telephone services up the Waitaki Valley had transformed the district, he said.
The conversion of Eden St from an industrial precinct filled with workshops and garages to a commercial shopping district replete with parking and shopping outlets meant the practice was now in a prime location, he said.
Things had changed inside the villa, too.
Computers had been amazing in terms of office organisation, although an old card system was maintained as a backup.
Huge improvements in X-ray technology, and proper protection from radiation in the form of walls lined with lead dramatically improved safety.
But there had been regression, too - in the bodies of the people who sought treatment.
"One of the biggest problems I've seen is people becoming grossly overweight," Dr Sim said.
"People are not eating the right types of food.
"It's like anything - if you put dirty fuel into a motor vehicle you see all sorts of problems as a result."
Diets increasingly included "impoverished food" high in carbohydrates in place of whole, alive, variable and non-toxic foods, he said.
Joint and organ problems, and diseases like Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis could all be linked to the diminished quality, and increased quantity, of food consumption, he said.
These trends, and further studies into the benefits of alternate treatments, meant many people were now seeking other options concerning their health.
"In this country we have an 'ambulance at the bottom of the cliff' philosophy," he said.
"Nobody seems to ask why they fall over the cliff in the first place.
"My Dad said 60-70 years ago that the hospital industry was the biggest in this country. Basically, what he was saying was right."
Holistic healing, though, was now beginning to permeate the mainstream - which Dr Sim saw as a positive development for "a long-suffering population".
"In my opinion it works in well with chiropractics," he said.
"I believe in giving people the information and then giving them options.
"I tell people they have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by trying something."
At 72 years old next month, and having been at the practice in a working capacity for 49 years, Dr Sim could be forgiven for having at least one eye on the door leading out to Eden St.
But that did not appear to be the case.
"I was telling a client the other day that I think I've still got enough fuel in the tank to do 50 years," he said.
On a tour of the premises where he had spent most of his life, it was easy to see why the half century was such a significant mark.
Both his sons had received commerce degrees in accounting and there were no succession plans in place involving family members.
Soon a day will dawn when the name Sim will no longer adorn the sign outside the conspicuous villa on Eden St.
The owner of the name replacing it will have a long, and tough, family act to follow.
