Community Contributed

The Petersen Estate

The Petersen Estate was auctioned on 28th April 1906. It comprised the block of land from SH1 down to Salisbury Street, from the South side of Bath Street to the south side of Durham Street.

The Petersen Estate comprised 43 business and residential sections in central Levin.

The estate included the block of land bounded by Bath, Oxford, Durham and Salisbury Streets – where the New World Supermarket is today – plus the adjoining sections in Durham Street and six business sections on south Oxford Street from Durham Street.

Today the area is undergoing a major transformation with many of the older buildings having been demolished.

On the New World block, none of the early buildings remain. In addition to the New World supermarket and carpark, this block contains the Electra/WINZ building on the southwest corner, Cobb & Co and Fatzboy Bar on the southeast corner, the Horowhenua District Council buildings and Council Chambers with Horowhenua Historical Society behind, and the State Insurance building. The land on the corner of Bath and Oxford Streets is a vacant lot with the shops demolished in late 2006 as part of the New World expansion plans.

On the south side of Durham Street, only three of the original houses still exist – number 15 (owned by the District Council), number 17 (Julian White’s Chiropractic Centre) and number 21 (Jack Allen Community House) which houses community organizations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, Levin and District Befrienders Inc., Supporting Families in Mental Illness, Horowhenua Family Violence Intervention Programme, SuperGrans, and the Horowhenua branch of the Stroke Foundation of New Zealand Inc.

At number 5 Durham Street, Levin Taxis are in the Macfarlane building. The new Salvation Army Corps building is at number 11 Durham street. Number 19 Durham is currently a vacant lot.

The six sections on south Oxford Street from Durham Street have the following businesses housed in older concrete premises: Jensen & Moore Ltd Automotive Engineers, Opportunity Shop and Southend Cycles.

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