Langford Store Explained

Langford Store
Location Town:Bainham
Location Country:New Zealand
Destruction Date:-->
Known For:General store
Unit Count:-->

Langford Store, also known as the Bainham Store and until 2009 as Langford's Store, is a historic general store at Bainham in the Tasman District of the South Island, New Zealand. A new combined post office and general store at Bainham was built in 1928 by the local postmaster, Edward Bates Langford. He leased part of the building to the Post Office and Telegraph Department to provide postal services, while using the remainder as a store.[1]

As of 2024, three generations of the Langford family have operated the store.[2] Edward Langford's granddaughter, Lorna Langford, took over as postmistress in 1952 and the running of the general store in 1954. She ran the businesses until retiring in 2009, when Sukhita Langford moved from Wellington to take over the store. Lorna Langford died in 2020.[3]

The building was accorded historic place category 2 listing by Heritage New Zealand in 1990, and has become a tourist attraction in its own right.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bainham store . 13 January 2022 . Heritage New Zealand.
  2. Web site: Bainham General Store . 2024-02-11 . www.theprow.org.nz.
  3. News: Hindmarsh . Nina . 24 October 2020 . Obituary: Lorna Langford, New Zealand's longest-serving postmistress . 13 January 2022 . Stuff.