Chien Shan
Dates: 1896-1898
Location: 314 Henwood Road, Bell Block, Taranaki (-39.060563, 174.151439)
Registration No: 644
Brand name: Unclear
Overhead view of Mr Fisher’s land holdings with location of his residence and possible location of factory.
This butter factory was built on land owned by Henry James Fisher on Henwood Road, Bell Block, New Plymouth. Mr Fisher (the son of the Reverend Henry Sanderson Fisher, Senior Chaplain in Bengal), spent almost 30 years working as Assistant Commissioner for Maritime Customs at Tamsui on Formosa Island (now Taiwan) before retiring to New Zealand to become a gentleman farmer.
He first bought land in the area in 1890 and gradually acquired additional holdings up until 1897. In 1890, he commissioned well-known New Plymouth architect James Sanderson to build him a house which was completed later that year.
The house and farm were originally called Chien-Shan after Mr Fisher’s time in Taiwan. The house (now known locally as Henwood House) is still standing at 314 Henwood Road, Bell Block, New Plymouth.
Mr Fisher built a butter factory on the property around 1896 but due to Mr Fisher’s untimely death as the result of a heart attack in 1898 (he was found collapsed in one of his fields), the factory appears to have closed down sometime around 1899.
The factory was managed by Mr Albert Martin who was born in Taranaki in 1870. Prior to the factory being built, Mr Martin managed Mr Fisher’s farm for about two years.
Mr Fisher’s daughter Mary who inherited his assets appears to have sold up and left the district around 1900-1901.
Unclear exactly where the factory was located but likely to have been relatively close to the house at 314 Henwood Road. Also unclear whether there are any remains.
Photo by Pat Greenfield - 4 December 1984
1890 plan showing some of Henry Fisher’s first land holdings including for site of main residence (section 13A)
1894 plan showing some of Henry Fisher’s land holdings
1900 plan showing some of Mary Fisher’s land holdings
1901 plan showing some of Mary Fisher’s land holdings
1926 plan showing a number of Fisher former land holdings