Topic: Former Sargood, Son & Ewen Building, 92 Lichfield Street, Christchurch
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Built in 1893, 92 Lichfield Street was purpose-built as the third New Zealand branch of Sargood, Son & Ewen, a family firm of warehousemen and importers founded in Melbourne.
The Christchurch warehouse serviced the whole of Canterbury. Sargood, Son and Ewen traded continuously in the Lichfield Street building for 80 years, until 1973, which was subsequently occupied by Austin Brown, clothing manufacturers.
The company commissioned the Melbourne architectural practice of Lloyd Tayler and Fitts to design their Christchurch premises. Commissioning an overseas architect was an unusual practice in Christchurch at the time. Lloyd Tayler was one of Melbourne’s most prominent architects of the period.