Red House, Port of Spain (must see)

The iconic Red House of Port of Spain was first built in 1844, although construction was not completed until 1848. It is in the Old Center of town by Woodford Square. It is bounded on the north side by Knox Street, on the south by Hart Street, on the east by Abercromby Street, and on the west by Vincent Street.

The Red House is a part of the government complex that houses the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. The building style is a mix of Beau-Arts and Classical Baroque. In 1844, The Governor, Sir Henry McLeod, laid the cornerstone of the first Red House. The building was designed by Richard Bridgens, the Superintendent of Public Works.

The building consisted of north and south blocks straddling Prince Street with a double archway. The idea was to keep the area open to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The progress was slow. Construction was still not perfectly finished fifty years later. In 1897 for Queen Victoria's Jubilee, the building was painted red.

In the Water Riot of 1903, the Red House was destroyed by fire. A protest meeting was held by the Ratepayers Association in nearby Brunswick Square (now Woodford Square). They were protesting an increase in the water rates. The Red House was pelted with stones by a large crowd of people, and eventually burnt to the ground.

The Governor, Sir Cornelius Alfred Moloney, had refused to veto the ordinance. What he may have lacked in governance, he made up for with firepower. The police shot into the crowd. The final score was 16 people dead, and the Red House destroyed. Rebuilding began the next year, and the new Red House opened in February 1907.

The new building was designed by D. M. Hahn, Chief Draftsman for Public Works. The ceiling Decorations in the Legislative Council Chamber and Justice Hall are in Wedgewood blue with white gesso. The panels were made in England and installed by Italian craftsmen. A passageway replaced the double archway between buildings.

The fountain in the rotunda was also designed by Mr. Hahn. The Red House is currently being restored for the sole use of Parliament.