Linwood Cemetery – Connection to Fire in England Brother’s Building [Media Release: Friends Of The Linwood Cemetery]

Media Release text is as follows:

 

Linwood Cemetery - Connection to Fire in England Brother's Building

 The Friends of Linwood Cemetery are deeply saddened at the destruction of yet another heritage property in the City connected to Linwood Cemetery. The England Brother's Building on the corner of High Street and Tuam Street was destroyed by a fire on the night of  Friday 7th December.  The building, notable for it's distinctive façade was designed by the architect Robert William ENGLAND who is buried in Block 32 Plot 72 in the Methodist area of the Linwood Cemetery.

"The plot is very familiar to us", said Alexandra Gilbert, Secretary of The Friends, "as it is next to the Peacock Mausoleum - an area we have been focusing on keeping tidy particularly since we painted a Trompe L'oille of the mausoleum on it's protective covering."

The Friends of Linwood Cemetery, a Charitable Trust made up entirely of volunteers, puts on regular events and holds seasonal working bees in Linwood Cemetery to encourage the community to engage with this valuable greenspace and heritage site in the Eastern suburbs. In May 2012, Richard Greenaway, well known local historian, gave a 'Red Zone Tour' in the cemetery taking visitors to the cemetery around graves of people connected with heritage buildings that have been lost since the earthquake.

"We had to restrict the tour to visiting 12 grave plots due to time and the length of the walk" added Alexandra, but the list we compiled was much longer. It's really heartbreaking to have to add another building to the cemetery's 'Red Zone' list especially under these circumstances.  We want people to remember that, despite losing so much of our heritage, many of the early residents of Victorian and Edwardian Christchurch who commissioned, designed, worked or lived in these buildings are buried in Linwood Cemetery.

We also have A J WHITE buried in Block 41 Plot 141. He traded from what became known as the MacKenzie and Willis building which was next door to the England Brothers Building and was able to be saved from burning down.   More information about the Friends of Linwood Cemetery Charitable Trust can be found at www.linwoodcemetery.org.nz or phone 381 4171 ###

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The Friends of Linwood Cemetery have provided the following links:
http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Publications/ChristchurchCityCouncil/ArchitecturalHeritage/McLeansMansion/McLeansMansion.pdf  see page 7

http://www.flickr.com/photos/christchurch/2163571048/

Article and photo of building pre fire 2008 from Canterbury Heritage flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/christchurch/2163571048/

Robert England cccdb entry
http://librarydata.christchurch.org.nz/Cemeteries/interment.asp?id=23882

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