The performance of historic buildings during the 14 November 2016 Mw7.8 Kaikoura, New Zealand earthquake is reported, focusing on early stone and clay brick masonry buildings, vintage concrete structures, cob cottages, and the non-structural masonry chimneys and veneers of buildings located in the upper part of the South Island (Marlborough and North Canterbury regions). To better document structural response, the intensity of horizontal and vertical ground motion from the nearest recording station is graphically placed alongside the assessed level of damage. In response to numerous strong earthquakes that have previously occurred in the area a large number of highly vulnerable buildings or non-structural building components were previously either seismically retrofitted or demolished, thereby reducing the level of damage and loss of life during the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. Seismically retrofitted stone and clay brick masonry buildings and cob cottages exhibited good performance, while some vintage concrete structures and partially strengthened cob cottages suffered moderate to extensive levels of damage. A large stock of URM chimneys in Picton, Seddon and Rotherham were previously removed while in other locations chimneys presented a variety of responses. Rural masonry veneer dwellings located in Seddon and Waiau experienced high damage levels, typically resulting in out-of-plane collapse of the masonry veneer.