Cobbe and Darragh's New Store

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 47, 17 October 1891, Page 2

Cobbe and Darragh's New Store

The new brick store now nearly completed, of Messrs Cobbe and Darragh, on the northern side of Manchester Square and opposite the Bank of Australasia, being the largest building of the kind between Auckland and AVellington deserves more than a mere passing notice at our hands, especially as it marks an important epoch in the history of the progress of the place. Following are its dimensions :— The building is 71ft 4in x 66ft, 71ft 4in fronting Manchester Square and 66ft fronting Manchester street. The ; foundations are of concrete 2ft wide to. the level of the floor joists. The walls are brick, 14 inch work to the joists oi the second floor and 9 inch work from the second floor up. The^ parapet is 4ft 6in high, including the cornice, with two raised circles on each side, and one over the door at the corner of Manchester i street and the Square. The whole of the brick work fronting the Square and Manchester street is colored and tuck pointed. I There are four large windows 10ft x 9ft in j the lower floor fronting Manchester street, and two of the same size fronting the i* Square. There are also two large circu-lar-headed windows Bft x 4ft 6in, and a--7ft 6in double glass door fronting the Square. ' There are five circular-headed windows fronting the Squarej in the top storey arid four fronting Manchester street, with a stone course under the windows on both fronts. The verandah is not yet erected, but we; sea by the plan that is to be a well-finished and substantial one, the full length of the" building fronting Manchester street and:4s feet fronting the Square. The lower floor of the building is divided into five apartments, as follows: The shop, 64ft Bin x 45ft ; the drapery show-room, 21ft x 12ft ~ ,6m, with a 6 feet semicircular -head, opening from the drapery department ; the ironmongery showroom is the "same size as the drapery show-room; the general store-room is at the back of the showrooms and is 33ft x 25ft. All the ceilings are 13 feet high. The butter-room is on the end of the store-room, and is 25ft x ' 12ft, with a concrete floor. The office and recess for the safe is 10ft x 6ft, which is in the north-west corner of the shop} and is lined and painted. The front shop is well fitted with counters, shelving, drawers, bins, &c. The side against the Square and half the frontage on -Manchester street is fitted up for draperjr, &c., and the other half of the shop for grocery, &c. This room is match-lined throughout, painted and well finished. The floor of the upper storey is supported with cast iron columns. The grocery and drapery departments are divided by a staircase leading to a large room above the. shop. The drapery and ironmongery show-rooms are matoh-lined and painted, and fitted with shelving, &c. The store-room is" fitted with a large door, so that drays can back into the room and load or unload on the lower or upper floor by means of a patent lift, there are two doors in this room leading to the butter-room, one to the ironmongery show room and one to the shop. The large room over the shop is 64ft Sin x 45ft, 12ft high, and is matchlined throughout, and a patent lift is fixed • for the purpose of raising or lowering heavy goods to the shop, this room is to be fitted with shelving all round andtwo show tables, each twenty feet long. The architect was Mr Charles Bray, 0.E., and the building, its designs and internal arrangements, will be a lasting memorial of his skill and ability in this branch of hig profession, Mr Pope, the. contractor, lias clone his work in his usual careful .and. complete manner, there nofc being a piece of work in the whole structure which is not faithfully done. The brickwork was done by Mr Chell, and the solidity of the foundations and walls, with their ornamental appearance, give ampleproof that only thoroughly experienced and skilful tradesmen weilded the trowel. The plumbing work was executed by Mr Peter Thomson, which is a guarantee in ifcself. The painting was done by Mtr Ambrose Pope, whose hand- work is welldesigned and neatly done.