Harper's Mansion
Choosing to build his house in an imposing position overlooking the village, James Harper, a District Constable in Sutton Forest, completed his house in 1834. James Harper was also the first licensee of the Surveyor General Inn at Berrima. Although not a very large house, it was much grander than the cottages nearby. Stories tell of the locals saying 'there goes Harper home to his mansion'. So it became known as 'Harper's Mansion' even though, during his lifetime, the house did not appear to have a name and newspaper items refer to him as being from Harper's Hill.
Harper died in 1845 with financial difficulties. It appears he had over reached himself and was caught by the recession of the 1840s. Berrima failed to develop as he had hoped. Many blocks had been sold to speculators, but few had been developed and the streets were not cleared until 1837. In 1846 William Hutchison, as mortgagee in possession, took ownership of Harper's house.
Occupancy by the Catholic Church
The house was first leased by the church as the presbytery for the priests of St Francis Xavier Berrima in 1853. In 1898 the priest was relocated to Moss Vale and the house was vacant until four Sisters of the Daughters of Our lady of the Sacred heart, who had opened a school in Berrima, used it as a convent from 1903 to 1909.
The Decline of the House
Between 1909 and 1970 the Church leased the house to various tenants and Harper's' Mansion progressively fell into disrepair. In 1950 the two-storied verandah, which had replaced the earlier single-storied verandah, collapsed. By then the upper storey, with broken panes stuffed with sacks, was no longer in use. The original detached brick kitchen had collapsed and a fuel stove had been installed in the room to the right of the front door. A small corrugated iron shed near the back door served as a laundry and bathroom with water being drawn from the well by a rope and bucket.
The Restoration of the House
In 1970 the Church sold the now derelict property to Mr and Mrs W.G.E. Williams. The new owners intended to restore the house, but on realising the enormity of the task, they decided to sell. Eager to have the house restored, the Mittagong Shire Council applied for a grant, then transferred the grant to the national Trust of Australia (NSW) and facilitated the sale of the property in 1978 which included a subdivision. The firm of the heritage architect Clive Lucas & Partners undertook the restoration and Harper's Mansion was opened to the public in 1985.
Restoration Work
Both water and electricity had to be connected throughout the house. The flooring downstairs was in such bad condition that it had to be removed and replaced with messmate to match the original flooring upstairs. The architraves, doors, windows and most of the skirting boards are original. The cedar throughout was stripped and re-stained. The staircase was in such a dilapidated state that it was removed and taken away to be rebuilt, retaining as much of the original timber as possible.
Paint samples were collected and colours were reproduced. The unusual ceiling in the dining room was dated to c.1870, a period when it was redecorated; the ceiling we see today is restored to that time.
In 1987, this restoration work attracted two awards, one from the NSW Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and the Wingecaribee Shire Design Award for Conservation/Restoration.
The Garden
During the restoration, the front garden was developed with plantings that included a new hedge, perennials and a selection of old roses dating from the period the house was built.
Between 1999 and 2006 the house and garden was leased to a horticulturalist who designed and planted a garden on vacant land at the side of the house. This newer garden includes a water feature, utilising a natural spring. The trees, shrubs and perennials all give the garden a wonderful ambience with many plants that are both interesting and unusual. This is an all seasons garden with something of interest throughout the year.
The Maze
The maze was also planted in 1999 in the area of the former coach-house and stables, which had long gone by 1950, but we know it occupied an area that would be approximately one-third the size of the maze.
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