A collage of all the Magnificent 7 buildings was made to
show all 7 structures combined as a tourist attraction. I chose to include these
Majestic Buildings located along the Queen’s Park Savannah because it represents
the era of the Capital City during the late 1800’s to early 1900’s when
Trinidad and Tobago was under political control of the English. This gives
reason as to why the architecture of these buildings are of European design. This
unique and vintage style of these landmarks serves as an attraction to many as
it is reflective to the country’s rich history and also these were some of the
first buildings to still be standing to this present day. Furthermore, these
buildings reflect the city planning that was used by the Europeans as cities in
newly colonized land followed the strategic city planning of the colonizers
(Hall 2012). The functions of these buildings ranged from being the homes of
the elite and religious leaders to schooling the children of the wealthy.
A Glimpse into
the History of these Landmarks!
The first grid is a photo of Hayes court, which was named
after Bishop Thomas Hayes and built in 1910 to house the Anglican Bishops of
Trinidad and Tobago. The second, The Queens Royal College was constructed in
1902 and designed by architect Daniel M. Hahn in a German renaissance style (citizensforconservationtt.org).
This was the first boys’ college to be built in Trinidad and only the upper
class persons could have afforded to send their children for an education.
The 3rd grid, the deteriorated Mille Fleurs which
was once the most “gracious and architecturally refined structures of the
magnificent seven” according to (citizensforconservationtt.org) was also built
in 1902. This home was built for the elite scholar Dr. Enrique Prada and his
wife in a French style. The 4th grid, the Archbishop’s palace was
also built around the same time in 1903 and designed by an Irish architect.
The buildings in the 5th, 6th and 7th
grids were homes of the elite. The 5th grid, White hall which
remains to be one of the most well-known of the seven buildings was built in
1904 by cocoa planter Joseph Leon Agostini. The 6th, the Ambard’s
house was constructed in 1904 by a French architect with materials originating
from Scotland, France and Italy.
The last and final grid is the Killarny or Stollmeyer’s
Castle also built in 1904 by Charles Fourier Stollmeyer was designed in a
Scottish Baronial style as a mini replica of a wing of Balmoral Castle which
was Queen’s Elizabeth summer home (macocaribbean.com). This was the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Stollmeyer as well as other elites after they left the house.
These milestone structures serve as a major component of urban
tourism in Port of Spain and is an attraction to both locals and foreigners as
it displays Urban Heritage. According to (Hall 2012) these buildings are
conserved so that their ‘artistic, architectural or historical qualities can
illuminate the achievements of society’. This was the case for the religious
and state owned buildings which are currently being retained as many showed
European architecture in the 20th century with its Spanish, German
and French designs seen in buildings such as the beautiful Ambard’s House with
its intricate patterns and workmanship.
Despite the fact that Mile Fleurs (3rd grid) is
presently being renovated and may not be as attractive as the others, its
current renovations shows the current process of the restoration of these
historic urban structures and the importance of their existence in the Capital
city of Port-of- Spain as a lot of investment are now being put towards these
buildings and preserving its beauty.
References
Citizens for conservation Trinidad and Tobago. 2010.
“Magnifcent
seven.” Accessed February 26, 2014.
http://citizensforconservationtt.org/main/index.php/builtherit/magnificent-seven
Hall,T. 2012. Urban Geography 4th Edition. New york:
Routledge.
Maco Caribbean.
“Trinidad
Activities”. Accessed February 15, 2014
http://www.macocaribbean.com/trinidad/activities/port-of-spains-magnificent-seven-six-five/
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