St. Andrews Church & Great Western Hotel

Description

The arrival of a chaplain, James Clow, in Bombay in 1815 kick-started the establishment of the city's first Scottish church. Situated in South Bombay, opposite Lion Gate near Apollo Bunder, the Church of St Andrew and St Columba is sometimes called the Scots Kirk (kirk is the Scottish word for church). Construction of the cityÕs first Scottish church, whose architecture resembles that of St Martin in London, began in 1816 and was completed in 1819 at a cost of Rs 45,354. The spire was added four years later in 1823. The funds to build the church were provided by the British East India Company. The organ, though, was bought by public subscription at a cost of Rs 4,800.The plaque outside the church reads, "Divine service was first held on Sunday 25th April 1819 by Reverend James Clow." Before the church was built, Clow conducted services in the town barracks and the court house. In 1907, the church finally got electric fans and lights - before then, it was deemed too expensive. In 1952, it even got a unique air-conditioning system. Blocks of ice, which were stored in an adjacent hut, were used to cool the air being pumped into the church, while exhaust fans sucked out the hot air.The large and palatial building called Great Western Building, standing on Apollo Street (now Bombay Samachar Marg), Fort, is the oldest (1715) existing privately owned structure on the Island city of Mumbai. It also has the distinction of being put to the most high-profile uses. It was once the residence of the Governor of Bombay. It also served as the Admiralty house, residence of the Commander in Chief of the Indian Fleet, from 1770 to 1795. Around 1800, the government purchased the building and transformed it into the Recorders Court House until 1878. The original porch was removed when the street was widened. The property was then purchased by Rustomjee Jeejeebhoy and sold to the Sassoon Family. In 1883, the building once again exchanged hands and Jewanjee & Company converted it into a hotel known as the Great Western Hotel. The hotel was furnished and fitted to ensure Ôthe greatest comfort to Residents and VisitorsÕ. Not only did every bedroom have an attached bathroom with a constant supply of water, the setup had the approval of the best scientific authorities. A 5-storeyed wing was added in the early 1890s. It was designed by renowned architect S M N Chandabhoy. Another 3-storeyed building was added in the later 1890s. The hotel has since closed down and the rooms have been divided and given out on rent.