Do you live in the old Carterton courthouse? You be the judge

Weddings, arrests, court cases and first steps have been seen, now the 152-year-old courthouse turned Carterton’s family home is ready for the next stage of life.

For the past few years it has been the home of Catherine Cooper and her husband Jonáš Koukl, who purchased the “warm and cozy” cabin in late 2016. A year later they were joined by their son Tomáš, now 2 years old.

But long before the Cooper-Koukls moved in, it had been a shearer’s bivouac, and long before that, the first police station, jail, and courthouse in nearby Masterton.

“There is a table of heights, carved into one of the doors,” says Cooper. “They told us it’s from when it was a police station. Actually, that’s how prisoners were measured. It only reaches six foot three.”

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Moved in the 90’s and turned into a cozy B&B, now it’s a cozy family home, perfect for an eco-friendly couple and their young family.

Little Tomáš took his first steps in the extensive garden that surrounds the house, which was designed and installed by his father along the lines of permaculture, with a garden without excavation and many mature trees.

“It’s the smallest house on the street, but it has the biggest tree,” Cooper says, “this huge oak tree.”

There is also a linden, the national tree of the Czech Republic, created by Jonáš, which is native to the Eastern European country.

Every night Jonáš and Tomáš go up to the tree and sing the Czech national anthem.

“Now every time we’re in the garden, Tomáš just goes up, touches his tree and starts humming the hymn,” says Cooper.

“It is difficult to leave. But then we also feel ready to move on. “

During the confinement, the cabin is their “nest”. Cooper’s mother lived next door and that made the whole experience more bearable. But when his mother moved away, Cooper thought it was time for them to move on, too.

“It’s been good. It’s a challenge at times, this little space, but we also found that it keeps us very close. We’ve enjoyed it. We really love Tiny Homes.

“This little nest has been for us, for Tomáš’s first two years. But now we need a little more space for him to run.”

The family has also loved living up close and personal with the local history.

On one occasion, a courier delivering something to the house told them that their great-grandparents had gotten married in the building.

Despite the family leaving, Cooper would still love to know more about the property.

“Actually, I am an author, I write children’s books, and I plan to write a book for Tomáš about the house, because it is really special for us.

“It is the only house he has ever known. It is his first house.”

Cooper likes to “be a part of the building’s ongoing history.”

“There are many stories of that building that I don’t know, that I hope to learn. There will be many more stories in the future. It’s great to be a part of that.”

Having invested so much in the property, the family feels a “really strong connection” to it.

Cooper hopes that the future owner will be someone who “appreciates and loves him” as much as they do.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the woman who rescued the building and moved it there, and who did a really meticulous job of renovating it in that style.

“I am very grateful to her for doing that. So I guess I hope there is someone who cares about the history of the place and enjoys it.”

The 46-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bath home sits on a 1035-square-foot lot, with rustic gardens, a small fire pit, and mature trees.

The sale, by auction on January 18, 2021, is being handled by Sylvia Wildermoth for LJ Hooker.

Cooper says it’s hard now to put a price on property; It was last sold in 2016 for $ 180,000, but it will surely be worth a lot more now.