A trip back through a bygone era

If it weren’t for a small flat screen TV perched on a table in the lounge of a quaint Masterton cottage you might swear you had stepped back through time.

Thanks to the care and dedication of two sets of family owners over a 140-year time span, Hayden Trass’ home has managed to retain the character, indeed the soul, of 19th and 20th century New Zealand.

When Trass’ mother Kay Greville bought the home in 1988, she knew she exactly was she was getting.

Having cared for the occupant, a descendant of the early Masterton settlers who built the property, Greville wanted to restore and retain the historic value of the unique home.

‘‘We saw the opportunity to move into a house that could be restored to its former glory,’’ said Trass.

‘‘Because it’s so original, we just wanted to keep as much as possible.’’

The Cornwall St villa, built in 1879, is now on the market, with a valuation yet to be completed.

Trass said as a 13-year-old, it was ‘‘pretty amazing’’ to move into the old cottage as he had developed a love of heritage buildings from a very young age.

‘‘It was like an archeological dig everywhere.’’

They literally did dig up old brick paths and unearth many treasures in the various outbuildings.

‘‘The family never threw anything away so the sheds were full of artefacts going back to the 1860s.’’

The second generation of descendants were decorators and had a wallpapering business.

One of the outbuildings was home to countless rolls of early 20th century wallpaper, many of which have since been used inside the house or donated to musums.

A byproduct of being in the wallpaper business meant the interior walls were given frequent makeovers.

The lounge walls had 13 layers of wallpaper.

The house still has some of its original furniture such as writing desk and cupboards.

Protected under Masterton’s district plan, the house retains significant heritage value and Trass would love to see it continued to be cared for by someone who shares his appreciation.

‘‘It’s been loved and kept original for a long time. It’s such a rare thing.’’

The Cornwall St villa belonging to Hayden Trass was built in 1879 and still has many of the original features.

The sitting room has the look and feel of a Victorian villa.

Edwin Truscott, seated second from left, was a bricklayer in Masterton in the 19th Century.