At least two huts existed around 1878 for workers on the dam, but they had disappeared by the 1930s.
There were two known huts in The Terrace within Reservoir Valley, they were Mackay Cottage and Pearson / Scout Hut. However, there were also another two huts known mostly through oral history and they were all but gone by the 1930s. Aerial photos showing The Terrace only go as far back as 1941 during the war and they show both Pearson Hut and Mackay Cottage, but are not helpful in locating these dam worker huts.
Locating the Huts
After an extensive search deeper in the bush of Reservoir Valley, two sites have been identified as locations for these huts. One site has the base of a chimney with an attached pipe and the other site also has a chimney base near a large concrete slab and a pile of old debris. The debris seems to include parts of a cast-iron stove, a benchtop, a small table, and even a section of steel rail track, among other artifacts. Both hut sites are concealed within dense bush, making them difficult to locate. Even with precise knowledge of their locations, finding the exact spots again is challenging.
Identifying the Huts
Further research suggests that these two huts could be related to two campsites for workers of the original dam, as noted in the history section of Greater Wellington’s Wainuiomata Regional Park page. Or the two huts site could be just one of the camps? More importantly though, is an 1884 article in the Evening Post which references severe flooding that caused the dam to overflow, damaging the structure and nearly destroying the workmens huts as the resulting torrent came perilously close to wiping them out. Indeed, the location of the two huts aligns with the description from the Evening Post article, as both huts are situated near the dam, downstream, and close enough to have been threatened by any major flooding event. Although the site is near the dam and river, it is fortunately located on elevated ground well above the Wainuiomata River. This elevation might have been enough to protect it from the raging torrent mentioned in the article, assuming the huts in question are the ones being referenced.
Dating the Huts
It is also possible that these two huts, or the site itself, date further back to when Sledge Track was operational. Some twenty years prior, logs were hauled out of the forest close to this site, to be placed on a tramway and transported to a mill. While it is pure conjecture that this site dates back to the logging era, the proximity of the huts to the forestry track is notable. Given the site of the two huts is flat terrain and the surrounding terrain being hilly, it would have been a logical choice if the loggers had a camp or a hut. Regardless. what services might have been offered to workers on the dam and possibly the loggers? Based on the cooking-related artifacts found here, providing meals could have been one. If the huts were built exclusively for dam workers, their construction would date back to 1878. However, if the site was also used during the earlier logging era in Reservoir Valley, it could date back to the 1860s, possibly even the late 1850s.
