One of the greatly depressing symbols of our fall and decline as a nation is that to date we cannot repair the official home of the President of the Republic of T&T whose roof caved in and remains thus.
In 1876, the cottage which served as an official residence was deemed inadequate for the needs of the Governor and a magnificent stone mansion commissioned in its place. The new structure truly deserved the name of mansion and was designed to resemble a palace of the Indian Raj. In 1887, Collens described it thus:
“The northern bend of the Queen’s Park brings you to the Governor’s residence (St Ann’s) and the Botanical Gardens. The house, a palatial edifice, designed by Mr Fergusson on the Indian model, and built of native limestone, was erected at a cost of £45,000 in 1875, during Governor Irving’s time. The Cottage where Kingsley wrote his At Last, while the guest of Sir Arthur Gordon, is now amongst the things of the past, having just been demolished.
“The present gubernatorial mansion has a fine entrance with lofty hall and tessellated floor, from which the grand staircase leads to the private rooms. Directly above the staircase is a square tower. The massive doors are made from mahogany grown on the Government lands nearby. The reception-room and the drawing-room beyond are both of noble size, with neat and elegant embossed ceilings. The galleries are becoming delightfully screened by a luxuriant growth of stephanotis, jasmine, and other beautiful, fragrant climbers.
“Altogether, this is a first-rate specimen of West Indian architecture; when the handsome gaseliers are lighted and the grounds ornamented with Chinese lanterns, as on the occasion of a State ball, the scene is one of fairyland, and transports one in imagination to those of the Arabian Nights. In January, 1880, during the short stay of Prince Albert Victor and Prince George of Wales in Trinidad, they, while ashore, were the guests of Sir Henry Irving, C M G, who was then Governor. It is not generally known that the bronze fountain in the Gardens was the gift of Sir Sanford Freeling in 1881; the other concrete one having been presented by Lord Harris more than thirty years ago.”
An invitation to a ball at the Governor’s residence was status indeed and did not hesitate to be divided along lines of colonial class and colour prejudice. One interesting account is that of Lady Mary Anne Broome whose husband, Sir Frederick Napier Broome, was Governor of Trinidad and (a newly annexed) Tobago from 1891-97:
“This ‘palace,’ however, is really a beautiful house, and stands in the large Botanical Gardens of Port-of-Spain. It has a charming view over the wide savannah in front, and is sheltered from the cold north winds by the low, beautifully wooded hills behind. Nothing can be much more beautiful than the first effect of the entrance hall to this Government House, and the long vista through the large saloon and ballroom beyond ends with a glimpse of that magnificent Saman tree. It was certainly an ideal house for entertaining. I always declared that the balls gave themselves, and there never was the slightest trouble in arranging any sort of party in the large rooms, which were always as cool as possible after sunset. The ballroom was lofty, open ‘to all the airts that blow,’ and possessed a perfect floor.”
Electricity was installed in 1895 replacing the old gaslights which had served since 1876. In 1958, it became the residence of the Governor General of the ill-starred West Indian Federation, Lord Hailes. When this body collapsed, the house was used as a museum and art gallery in 1962, with Independence being celebrated a few months later.
In 1959, a small adjoining building called The Cottage (not the same building dating from 1867 and detailed in last week’s column) was renovated for use as living quarters while the main building was occupied by the museum.
In 1965, Sir Solomon and Lady Hochoy moved back into the mansion from a home that later became the residence of the Prime Minister. Sir Ellis Clarke was the last Governor General to occupy the mansion and the first President to do so when the nation became a republic in 1976 and the Governor’s Mansion became President’s House. It seems unlikely, however, that it will ever be occupied again by a head of state since restoration works are yet to begin and the caved roof has never been repaired.