Government House, Grenada

Last updated
Government House
Government House Grenada.jpg
Government House in 1984
Government House, Grenada
General information
Type Official residence
Architectural style British colonial
Location Mount Wheldale, Saint George's, Grenada
Coordinates 12°03′12″N61°44′37″W / 12.05338°N 61.74370°W / 12.05338; -61.74370
Completed1780
Renovated1886
Destroyed2004
Owner Government of Grenada

Government House is the former official residence of the King and governor-general of Grenada. The house is located on Mount Wheldale, in Saint George's. It is located next to New Parliament House. The building was damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and subsequently abandoned. Despite its current status as a ruin, it remains the official seat of the Crown.

Contents

History

The house on the site was originally an estate house owned by William Lucas, which was used as the headquarters of the French administration during the 1779-1783 occupation. Following the return to British rule, the building became the new residence of Governor Edward Mathew, and was formally purchased by the Grenada government in 1785. [1] The building was extensively remodelled in 1886 by Governor Sir Walter Sendall.

It was used as the home and office of the Lieutenant-Governors of Grenada until 1882. After this, it briefly became the residence of the Administrators of the island, before Saint George's became the capital of the Windward Islands in 1885, whereupon it was occupied by the Governor-in-chief. The building became home to the Administrators again in 1959 upon the dissolution of the Windward Islands. Following the granting of full internal self-government in 1967 it became residence of the Governor of Grenada. When Grenada became an independent state in 1974 it became the residence of the Governors-General, until destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

It was used as a set piece during the filming of Island in the Sun in 1956. During the United States invasion of Grenada in 1983 the house was the site of a 24-hour battle between US Navy SEALs sent to evacuate Governor-General Sir Paul Scoon and the Grenadian People's Revolutionary Army.

Rebuilding effort

The building has since 2004 fallen into ruin. The office and residence of the Governor-General has since been relocated to a residence in Point Salines. Various society groups have advocated for the restoration of the residence, including the Willie Redhead Foundation. Active effort is being made, particularly by Governor-General Dame Cecile La Grenade, to raise funds for the restoration of the building. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

The history of Grenada in the Caribbean, part of the Lesser Antilles group of islands, covers a period from the earliest human settlements to the establishment of the contemporary nationstate of Grenada. First settled by indigenous peoples, Grenada by the time of European contact was inhabited by the Caribs. French colonists killed most of the Caribs on the island and established plantations on the island, eventually importing African slaves to work on the sugar plantations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. George's, Grenada</span> Capital of Grenada

St. George's is the capital of Grenada. The town is surrounded by a hillside of an old volcano crater and is located on a horseshoe-shaped harbour.

Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British West Indies</span> British territories in the Caribbean, sometimes including former colonies

The British West Indies (BWI) were colonised British territories in the West Indies: Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago. Other territories included Bermuda, and the former British Honduras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor-General of Grenada</span> Representative of the monarch of Grenada

The governor-general of Grenada is the representative of the Grenadian monarch, currently King Charles III, in Grenada. The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister of Grenada. The functions of the governor-general include appointing ministers, judges, and ambassadors; giving royal assent to legislation passed by the Grenadian Parliament; and issuing writs for election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurricane Ivan</span> Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in 2004

Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carriacou</span> Island in Grenada

Carriacou is an island of the Grenadine Islands. It is a part of Grenada, and is located in the south-eastern Caribbean Sea, northeast of the island Grenada and the north coast of South America. The name is derived from the Carib language Kayryouacou.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Castle</span> Castle on a tidal island in the parish of Saint Helier, Jersey

Elizabeth Castle is a castle and tourist attraction, on a tidal island within the parish of Saint Helier, Jersey. Construction was started in the 16th century when the power of the cannon meant that the existing stronghold at Mont Orgueil was insufficient to defend the Island and the port of St Helier was vulnerable to attack by ships armed with cannons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Windward Islands</span> 1833–1959 British colonial division in the Caribbean

The British Windward Islands was an administrative grouping of British colonies in the Windward Islands of the West Indies, existing from 1833 until 31 December 1959 and consisting of the islands of Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, the Grenadines, Barbados, Tobago, and Dominica, previously included in the British Leeward Islands.

The Grenada Boys' Secondary School (GBSS) is a secondary school in the island of Grenada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effects of Hurricane Ivan in the Lesser Antilles and South America</span>

In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan caused significant effects in the Lesser Antilles and South America, including 44 deaths and over $1 billion in damage (2004 USD), primarily in Grenada where it was considered the worst hurricane in nearly 50 years. Hurricane Ivan developed from a tropical wave on September 2 and rapidly intensified to become a major hurricane, passing through the southern Lesser Antilles on September 7 with winds of 125 mph (201 km/h). At the time, its typical storm force winds extended outward up to 160 miles (260 km) with hurricane-force winds outward to 70 miles (110 km), and the northern portion of the eye passed over Grenada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of Grenada</span> Constitutional monarchy as a system of government in Grenada

The monarchy of Grenada is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Grenada. The current Grenadian monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Grenadian Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Grenada and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Grenada. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grenada</span> Country in the Caribbean

Grenada is an island nation of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The southernmost of the Windward Islands, Grenada is directly south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and about 100 miles north of Trinidad and the South American mainland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Bruce (governor)</span> 18th Governor of Mauritius

Sir Charles Bruce was a British colonial administrator and author. He was the 18th Governor of Mauritius, from 1897 to 1903.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government House, Saint Lucia</span> Official residence of the Governor-General of Saint Lucia in Castries

Government House is the official residence of the governor-general of Saint Lucia. The house is located on the crest of Morne Fortune, near Castries.

Sir Robert Baxter Llewelyn (1845–1919) was a colonial administrator in the British Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cécile La Grenade</span> Governor-General of Grenada

Dame Cécile Ellen Fleurette La Grenade, is a Grenadian food scientist who has served as Governor-General of Grenada since 7 May 2013.

Sir James Walker was a Scottish colonial administrator.

References

  1. "This Day in History". NOW Grenada.
  2. "Government Information Service". YouTube.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.