Earthquake strengthening works are well under way at Invercargill’s historic Anderson House.

Anderson House, which was gifted to Council in the 1950s, was closed in January 2014 as it was found to be a serious earthquake risk.

Council is now making improvements to ensure the building is safe while also undertaking exterior maintenance such as repairing parts of some windows and doors, cleaning the outside of the building and removing shutters for refurbishment.

Council Manager Invercargill Venues and Events Richard McWha said earthquake strengthening work so far had included demolishing four chimneys that posed a falling brick hazard, with a new timber chimney structure for two of the chimneys built and put in place by a crane.

“It’s great to be finally able to get to work on this beautiful building, and to have so much already ticked off the list so far is very exciting.”

Seismic brackets, wall reconstruction and the addition of seismic brackets, resealing and repairing window sashes and double hung windows and the running of new cabling for fire alarms and detectors were all now complete, he said.

Floor and roof strengthening was another job yet to be ticked off.

Anderson House had been rated at a seismic strength of less than 10 per cent New Building Standards.

“Without strengthening the home cannot be safely entered by the public. The current seismic upgrade and maintenence will make it safe and help protect it for future generations,” Mr McWha said.

The project was likely to be finished by mid-year, he said.