[1] The company was one of the largest employers in Wellington and also played a large part in the development of Petone.

[3][4] It was constructed of matai, totara and kauri, and the wall on the south side is about 30 cm thick and filled with sawdust for insulation against southerly winds.

[3] The house remained in the ownership of the Gear family until 1967, and in 1975 it was bought by Poriurua City Council.

[4] In the early to mid 1980s, the historic building was used as a major location in Peter Jackson's first film, Bad Taste.

The building was home to the Iredale and Tiegan family in the 1995 children’s TV series Mirror, Mirror (TV series), and in 2007 it was used as a location in the horror movie When Night Falls.