More Info →Glasshouses at the Nairn market garden, College Street

John Nairn came to Palmerston North from the South Island and purchased a property then at the end of College Street in 1893. It was on this property that he built his house and market gardening business. He built a series of glasshouses, irrigated by an artesian bore sunk in 1905, the first well sunk in Palmerston North. The business largely grew grapes, cucumbers and tomatoes in the seven glasshouses and surrounding plots of land. John Nairn retired in 1928, leaving management to his son, S M Nairn, who continued until 1943 when he sold his half interest to C F Robinson. The Nairn property was subdivided for housing in 1959 and Nairn Crescent was constructed beside the Nairn house soon after. On the back of the photograph is written “Potting Shed, and glasshouses at my old home in College Street, P.N. The second from the left grew tomatoes and others grapes”.