Built by Charles Fourier Stollmeyer, Killarney was the first house to be constructed in the St. Clair sub-division established on lands which had previously been used as the Government Stock Farm located on the western side of the Queen's Park Savannah. Construction started in 1902 and was completed in 1904. The Architect of this elaborate structure was a Scotsman, Robert Gillies. Described to be Scottish Baronial in architectural style, it is said that the structure of the house was patterned after a wing of Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Killarney is included as one of the Magnificent Seven buildings on Queen's Park West.
When construction was completed, Mrs. Stollmeyer found it too ostentatious for her simple tastes and her husband gave it to their son, Conrad, who was about to marry. The new Mrs. Stollmeyer gave the structure the name Killarney, after the place in Ireland she had hoped to spend her honeymoon.
During the Second World War, Killarney, like it's neighbour, White Hall, was occupied by US Forces and was popularly referred to as The Castle. It is from this period that Killarney became better known as Stollmeyer's Castle. It was subsequently occupied by members of the Stollmeyer family until 1972 when it was purchased by Jessy Henry A Mahabir, an insurance executive. The intention was that the building be used for residential purposes only.
Killarney was acquired in 1979 by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. It is at present unoccupied. Although still owned by Government, Killarney had been placed under the care of Citizens for Conservation which undertook restoration work. Now officially part of the Prime Minister's Office, Killarney is suffering from structural problems. Its robust stone and brick facade make the building appear to be invincible, but the timber floor and roof structure are in need of immediate rehabilitation.
White Hall (Rosenweg)
Written by Geoffrey MacLean
White Hall (Rosenweg) Photograph: Courtesy Geoffrey MacLean 17 May 2009
One of the Magnificent Seven, White Hall, as it is known today, was built in 1904 by Joseph Leon Agostini, a cocoa planter, at the time when "cocoa was king". Construction commenced in 1904, in accordance with Mr. Agostini's own design, said to be influenced by the Moorish Mediterranean style and reminiscent of the architecture of Corsica from where the Agostini family originated. Construction took approximately three years, although the roof was not completed until the building changed hands in 1907. This residence, the largest of the private homes on Maraval Road, was originally called Rosenweg.
One story is that the Agostini family lived at Whitehall for two years after J.L. Agostini's sudden death in 1906 and remained in residence until 1910. Other sources claim that the Agostinis never lived in the building because they could not afford to complete it, Trinidad's cocoa industry having suddenly collapsed during the period of construction. Whichever version is true, the family was unable to meet mortgage payments and the mortgagee, William Gordon Grant, foreclosed. It is said that Leon Agostini can still occasionally be seen, sitting on the porch terrace, lamenting his loss.
The year after Mr. Agostini's death, the property was sold to Mr. Robert Henderson, an American businessman from Venezuela, who took up residence with his family. During his ownership, a delightful variety in the furnishings of the interior was added to the refined dignity of the exterior. Mr. Henderson family renamed it Whitehall after the coral stone from which it is built.
At the beginning of the Second World War, with the arrival of the United States Forces in Trinidad, Whitehall was commandeered from the Seigert family, heirs of Robert Henderson, and occupied as the headquarters of the Air Raid precaution (A.R.P.) from 1940 to 1944. In 1944, the British Council rented and occupied the building as a cultural center. The Trinidad Central Library, the Regional Library, the National Archives, the Government Broadcasting Unit, the Trinidad Art Society and the Cellar Club all rented or occupied space in the building. In 1949, the lease to the British Council was not renewed and the building remained empty until the 7 October, 1954, when it was purchased by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
In 1957 Whitehall was occupied by the Pre-Federal Interim Government prior to the establishment of the West Indies Federation in 1958. In 1963, it became the Office of the Prime Minister occupied by The Hon. Dr. Eric Williams, Trinidad and Tobago's first Prime Minister after Independence.
Restored in 2000, Whitehall continued to be occupied by the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago until 2009.
Archbishop's Palace
Written by Geoffrey MacLean
Archbishop's Palace Photograph: Courtesy Geoffrey MacLean 17 May 2009
The Archbishop's Palace was built in 1903 by the fifth Archbishop of Port of Spain, Patrick Vincent Flood, at a time when the wealthy estate-owning French Creoles were building on Maraval Road. In keeping with the dignity of his office, the Archbishop decided to construct a palatial residence. The plans for the proposed structure were drawn in Ireland by an Irish architect who obviously had leanings towards the Indian design. Construction was carried out by George Brown of the Trinidad Trading Company and the building was completed in 1904.
Archbishop's Palace underwent many changes during 1968 and 1969. The ground floor was almost completely remodeled and what had been wooden paneled walls became concrete walls with aluminum windows. Several walls were removed due to the darkness of the interior, as is the case with a screen wall that once divided the entrance hall into two, and the wall that stood behind the stairway. A Chancery was constructed to the west of the main building and the summer house and the stables were torn down and replaced by a new apartment. The first floor of the house, the sacristy, the chapel and a room in the south-west corner of the house, behind the chapel, maintain their original state. The architect for the renovation was Sonny Sellier and the contractor, Rev. Father Kevin Devenish, C. S. Sp. Upon its completion in 1969, Monsignor Anthony Pantin, the first Trinidad-born Archbishop, took up residence at the Archbishop's Palace, which remains the official residence of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Port of Spain.
The renovations are not considered to be in keeping with the original architecture although some of the orignal designs have been maintained. In particular, the double wooden doors to the ground floor were replaced by aluminum sliding doors which have destroyed the integrity of the intended aesthetic. The original doors, however, can be found on the south-east corner of the ground floor and on the two plain panels, one below the louvres and one above. The composition of the windows is also very unusual, as glass is fixed on the wood frame instead of a wooden panel.
Ambard's House (Roomor)
Written by Geoffrey MacLean
Ambard's House (Roomor) Photograph: Courtesy Noel Norton
Ambard's House was constructed by Lucien F. Ambard in 1904 as a family residence. It was designed by a French architect and the original pattern-book is still available at the Ambard's House Library. Most of the materials used in construction were imported, the marble from Italy, the tiles from France and the cast iron elements from Scotland. The wood for the rafters came from an estate in Erin owned by the Ambard family
Because of financial difficulties resulting in an inability to meet his mortgage payments to Gordon Grant & Co., Ambard lost his house in 1919. It was subsequently sold to Pointz Mackenzie, who also lost it in 1923 under circumstances similar to that of Ambard. In 1925, William Pettigrew Humphrey, an American businessman, rented the house where he lived with his family until 1940, the year that the house was sold to Timothy Roodal.
Today Ambard's House, or Roomor as it is now more popularly known, is occupied by Roodal's granddaughter, Dr. Yvonne Morgan and her family. The name Roomor is a combination of two family names, Roodal and Morgan. Ambard's House, the only one of the Magnificent Seven to remain as a private residence, is almost totally constructed of wood and as such requires constant maintenance. It has however, substantially maintained the integrity of the original design and finishes.
Mille Fleurs
Written by Geoffrey MacLean
Mille Fleurs Photograph: Courtesy Maclean Publishing Limited and Noel Norton
This residence, built by Mrs. Prada as a gift for her husband Dr. Enrique Prada, was the home of the Prada family for 19 years. The name Mille Fleurs is original, given to the house by Mrs. Prada herself. The house was built in 1904 by George Brown of the Trinidad Trading Company, under the guidance of Dr. Prada, who had a particular interest in building. Dr. Prada was a scholar and a public-minded man. Born in Venezuela in 1867, he came to Trinidad at an early age where he lived until his death in 1944.
In 1923, Mille Fleurs was sold to Joseph Salvatori, from which time it became the residence of the Salvatori family. After the death of Mr. Salvatori in 1959, Mrs. Salvatori was the sole occupant until her death in 1971. The mansion subsequently became the property of Mrs. Pierre Lelong, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Salvatori. Mrs lelong lived in Paris and in 1973 she sold Mille Fleurs to George Matouk. In June, 1979, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago purchased the house from Mr. Matouk for approximately $1, 000,000.00. The intention was that it would be used as the offices of the National Security Council.
It's architectural style has been described as French Provincial. Although Mille Fleurs is less ostentatious than some of its neighbours, the quality of finish and detailing is perhaps of a far higher quality: the intricately carved balusters and the marble treads and risers to both the main and secondary staircases; the elaborate cast-iron columns and brackets, etc.
Possibly one of the Magnificent Seven's most gracious and architecturally refined structures, Mille Fleurs is in an advanced stage of deterioration. It is at present unoccupied and no consideration is being given to even the most basic maintenance. The building does not have a future if the present situation continues.
Hayes Court
Written by Geoffrey MacLean
Hayes Court Photograph: Courtesy Geoffrey MacLean 17 May 2009
The plan to build a house for the Anglican Bishop was conceived in 1904 by Mr. Protheroe. In 1908, an anonymous gift of the site by two gentleman enabled construction to begin. Hayes Court was completed by the firm of Taylor & Gillies in 1910.
One of the Magnificent Seven buildings on the Queen's Park Savannah, Hayes Court was named after Bishop Thomas Hayes, although he died in 1904 before the completion of the building. Bishop Hayes had served from 1889 as Bishop to Trinidad. He died in England, in 1904, while preparing to return to the Diocese after a short leave of absence.
Hayes Courts' first occupant was the third Bishop of Trinidad, the Right Reverend John Francis Welsh. The building has traditionally been used as the residence of the Anglican Bishops to Trinidad. The only Bishop not to reside at Hayes Court was Bishop Arther Anstey, who arrived as Bishop to Trinidad in 1918. Bishop Anstey was forced, for financial reasons, to lease the house to the French Consul. The funds from this transaction were used to provide church schools in Trinidad & Tobago.
Hayes Court, as seen from the exterior, appears to be in a relatively sound state. This is probably because the building has been retained for use as a residence and has been consistently occupied and maintained. New structures have been added to the western side of the main house as the offices for the Diocese.
