- Two historic buildings in Mangaweka are for sale, with hopes for restoration by new owners.
- Elisabeth Bunn is marketing them as a "blank canvas" for renovators and investors.
- The Mangaweka Historical Society hopes the sale will improve the town and preserve its heritage.
Two historic buildings with a touch of the Old West are up for grabs in a tiny North Island town.
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Locals are hoping for a saviour to swoop in and buy and restore some rundown shops.
Bayleys listing agent Elisabeth Bunn is selling the deceased estate at 14 and 16 Broadway, in Mangaweka, in Rangitikei, and told OneRoof her vendors were keen to meet the market. Her listing added that it "must sell at auction".
The properties were built in the late 1800s and started out as shops, but in the last 20 years, they were rented out as homes, and fell into disrepair.
The properties have a Wild West vibe, according to the listing agent. Photo / Supplied
Bunn is marketing the buildings as a “blank canvas” with potential for “renovators, investors, or dreamers ready to reimagine”.
The timber facades with original colonial-era detailing and sheltered verandas reminded her of Mellonsfolly Ranch, the famous Wild West replica town in nearby Ruapehu, which is also up for grabs.
“It'd be quite cool if someone could restore them,” she said.
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Bunn said there had been a lot of interest in the buildings, with a video of the listing attracting more than 140,000 views on Facebook.
Alison Dorrian, chairwoman of the Mangaweka Historical Society, said the local historical society was hoping that this sale could result in improvements to the town.
“We would love some entrepreneurial people to come in and restore the buildings or at least their facades. We would love to see them put to good use.”
Dorrian said the row of shops once included Mr Dowling’s unusual hair-dressing salon, where customers could have their hair cut and then play billiards and a grocer.
Mangaweka had its hey-day between 1900 and 1920, when State Highway 1 and the main trunk line were built. Bunn said: “We are a tourist destination. We've got cycle trails, and we have fly fishing down at the river. The river in summer is really nice and enjoyed by people."
Bayleys listing agent Knud Bukholt, who is selling Mellonsfolly Ranch, said the property had to be seen to be believed.
Mellonsfolly Ranch is a reproduction of an 1860s Wyoming frontier town. It is also for sale. Photo / Supplied
Built in 2006 as a holiday retreat, the replica 1890s western Wyoming town has been officially closed for the last five years, but Bukholt said it was still well-maintained.
“It’s next level. The standard is right up there with the best. It’s double glazed, there’s underfloor heating in the bedrooms – it just goes on and on. You’ve actually got to see it to believe it and really appreciate it, and then there’s 100 acres with it as well.”
Cowboy music even plays on the streets of the town to set the scene.
Bukholt said there were so many possibilities for Mellonsfolly Ranch, which could be bought by a syndicate of 10 families and used as a holiday retreat or could also be used as an accommodation or entertainment venue.
He said there had been interest from both overseas and local buyers in the unique offering.
“It would work well in the film industry just because it covers so many bases there.”
The ranch's late owner, Whanganui philanthropist Rob Bartley, tried to sell the property in 2020 for US$7.5m, but Covid restrictions put the project on hold. Bartley died in 2021, and his estate took over the task of selling the ranch.
Mellonsfolly Ranch was founded John Begdoni, the wealthy owner of Metropolitan Glass, who was captivated by the television westerns of his 1960s childhood, including Gunsmoke and Bonanza, and created a town that replicated the look and feel of the Wild West. The property has an RV of $2.1m.
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