New Zealand’s oldest surviving house is getting a new roof to help protect it for future generations. Kemp House in Kerikeri is 204 years old and has been covered with a waterproof layer while workers replace its old wooden shingles. Heritage New Zealand says the building is in surprisingly good condition for its age.
The house was built by missionaries James and Charlotte Kemp and Māori sawyers in 1821 and 1822. It was completed about 20 years before the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The building is an important part of both Māori and Pākehā history.
Workers are carefully checking the house as the roofing work continues. They have found that the original kauri beams inside the building are in very good condition. The waterproof covering is also protecting the house from rain while the work is being completed.
Kemp House was owned by the Kemp family for many years before Ernest Kemp gave it to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust in 1974. Today, it is a popular place for visitors from New Zealand and overseas. Heritage New Zealand is asking the public to help support the restoration project.
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