Usually, if you climbed under the crawl space of a Wellington home, you might find mud, maybe some dead vermin – you would rarely expect to find gold.
But gold was exactly what contractors were looking for under the foundations of a 100-tonne Victorian villa after they shifted it to the back of its Mt Victoria section.
The historic home at 105 Brougham St, Mt Victoria, was moved on a custom-built rail system by House Lifters Ltd, business owner Rod Moore said, after being lifted one metre by a hydraulic jacking system. The house was then moved to the back of the section, to stay while a basement was built.
The 118-year-old home, known for its faded grandeur and red and yellow paint, has links to various shades of Wellington’s colourful history. Built in 1905, the house fell into the ownership of nightclub owner and restaurateur, Emmanuel Papadopoulos, in the late 20th century.
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Moore said neighbours came forward and told him about the home’s “interesting history” while it was moved. When the Papadopoulos family moved out, people allegedly turned up to rip furniture apart outside on the footpath, searching for hidden gold inside.
Neighbour Richard Burrell said there were elements of truth to the rumours. Apparently, when Papadopoulos died, his family found three or four safes filled with gold on the property – despite only knowing about two.
But unfortunately contractors found no “hidden gold” underneath the large home on Thursday.
After the basement was finished, the house would then be rolled back to its original location, to be restored by its new owner and turned into accommodation, Moore said.
The house’s owner, Hieu Nguyen, said he had never found “anything shiny” under the home. The property was “beautiful,” and an important part of Wellington’s history.
Nguyen said part of his motivation in purchasing the home was to preserve the historic building, due to fears that in a few years it would be gone, leaving only a section.
And while the property would be renovated, key features would stay, including a stage on the lower floor.
“My architect thought I would want to take it out and level the whole thing out, but I think we’re keeping it.”
The heritage building was designed and built in 1905, according to the Mt Victoria Historical Society, by prominent Wellington architect practice Thomas Turnbull And Son.
With the land purchased by postmaster and clerk William Gray, it fell into the ownership of his wife, Catherine, who lived there until she died in 1919.
