Mark Twain ‘At Home’ in Christchurch in 1895

Articles, Lost Christchurch

One of the most famous literary figures of the nineteenth century to visit Christchurch, was author, raconteur, journalist and social critic, Mark Twain.  Tired and elderly, yet a force to be recko…

Holly Lea – a Rich Man’s Folly?

Articles, Lost Christchurch

An elderly man, dressed in a plum coloured suit and bow tie, stands gazing at his nearly completed home. It is September 1900, and this is no ordinary home, it is reputed to be the largest wooden r…