The iconic weatherboarded Six Sisters in Napier have been recognised for their heritage importance and entered the New Zealand Heritage List as a historic area. The Six Sisters are six symmetrically identical two-story buildings along Marine Parade.
The two-storey timber villas, spanning 185, 189, 193, 197, 201, and 205 Marine Parade, are thought to have been constructed in the early 1900s and form an appealingly orderly continuous row with views of the foreshore and Pacific Ocean.
The group of houses was built in the late 19th century and designed by Robert Lamb. Lamb, a British-born architect who worked in Napier between 1887 and 1895, was hired by a prominent businessman to design near-identical, two-story residences for his six daughters. Apparently, Robert Lamb moved to Napier from England due to health reasons. He was an architect and engineer who designed plans for much of Marine Parade in those days.
These six buildings survived the 1931 earthquake and the resulting fires. From the 1980s, the buildings went on to have various commercial uses, including an architectural studio, restaurant, cafe, the head office of a shipping company, and various galleries and art and souvenir shops. Some villas have reverted to their original use as private residences or flats.
The locals have circulated rumours about the alleged haunting of the six buildings. There are reports of unusual activity and unexplained phenomena occurring within these properties, mainly the sounds of footsteps walking on wooden floorboards and moving shadows seen around dusk. However, it is uncertain whether these occurrences are isolated to one or two specific buildings or if these mysterious events affect the entire row of six buildings.
We are interested in hearing from anyone who has experienced anything unusual in these six buildings.
