XN000022-1989-09-14 — Page 2

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1989

TWO HISTORICAL BUILDINGS TO BE PRESERVED

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TWO 150-YEAR-OLD WESTERN HISTORICAL BUILDINGS IN THE CENTRAL DISTRICT. FLAGSTAFF HOUSE AND THE FORMER FRENCH MISSION BUILDING, WERE GAZETTED AS HISTORICAL BUILDINGS TODAY (THURSDAY).

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BUILT IN MAY 1846, FLAGSTAFF HOUSE NOW STANDS ON THE TOP OF GENTLE SLOPE TO THE RIGHT OF COTTON TREE DRIVE. IT WAS ORIGINALLY CALLED THE HEADQUARTER HOUSE WHEN MAJOR GENERAL GEORGE CHARLES D'AGUILAR, WHO WAS THEN THE "OFFICER COMMANDING HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S LAND FORCES IN CHINA" FIRST MOVED INTO THE BUILDING ON SEPTEMBER 28 THE SAME YEAR.

FROM THEN, THE HOUSE WAS USED AS THE OFFICE AND RESIDENCE OF THE COMMANDER OF BRITISH FORCES UNTIL 1978. EXCEPT DURING THE PERIOD OF JAPANESE OCCUPATION. THE NAME OF FLAGSTAFF HOUSE WAS FIRST USED AROUND 1932.

IT WAS A TWO-STOREY BUILDING WITH DEEP VERANDAHS AND COLUMNS OF BOTH DORIC AND IONIC ORDERS AND APPEARED TO BE OF THE GREEK REVIVAL STYLE.

JUST BEFORE THE SECOND WORLD WAR. FLAGSTAFF HOUSE UNDERWENT EXTENSIVE RENOVATION WITH MAJOR ALTERATIONS WHEN THE FLOORS WERE CONCRETED, VERANDAHS REBUILT TO THEIR PRESENT FORM, TWO STAIRCASES REMOVED AND A NEW ONE REBUILT, AND THE ENTRANCE DOOR RELOCATED.

IN 1981, THE URBAN COUNCIL TOOK OVER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BUILDING AND CONVERTED IT INTO A TEAWARE MUSEUM IN 1984. IT WAS

A FORMALLY OPENED AS THE FLAGSTAFF HOUSE MUSEUM OF TEA WARE,

BRANCH MUSEUM OF THE HONG KONG MUSEUM OF ART AND WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE AS SUCH AFTER THE DECLARATION.

AS TO THE FORMER FRENCH MISSION BUILDING NOW SITUATED ON BATTERY PATH, IT WAS SIR HENRY POTTINGER. THE FIRST GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, WHO AUTHORISED THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING ON THE SITE.

BUILT BETWEEN 1842 AND 1843, THE BUILDING WAS RENTED AND USED

KONG AS A TEMPORARY RESIDENCE FOR THE GOVERNOR OF HONG

BETWEEN 1843

AND 1846.

LAND RECORDS OF 1879 AND 1880 LISTED THE OWNER AS EMMANUEL BELILIOS, DIRECTOR OF THE HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANK, WHO OWNED THE BUILDING UNTIL 1915 WHEN IT WAS ACQUIRED BY THE FRENCH MISSION.

UNDER THE OWNERSHIP OF THE FRENCH MISSION, THIS BUILDING WAS EXTENSIVELY REBUILT. A SMALL PLAQUE, WHICH AFFIRMED THE ALTERATION COMPLETED ON MARCH 7, 1917, CAN STILL

BE SEEN ON ITS WALL FACING

SOUTH.

AMONG THE ALTERATIONS, THE MOST NOTABLE ONE WAS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SMALL CHAPEL IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER.

THE THREE-STOREY ....