Few 19th century buildings remain standing in central Napier. A marvelous survivor of the 1931 earthquake is the Conservation House. This all timber, two-story structure designed by colonial architect William Henry Clayton was the Napier Courthouse when it opened in 1875. At various times, it housed different courts (Supreme, East Coast District, Magistrate’s and Maori Land) plus the police, public records and a law library. After the last court case was heard in 1988, it was purchased by the Department of Conservation for the Hawke’s Bay District Office.
