Historic Buildings Walking Tour (Self Guided), Port of Spain

Still regarded as the bastion of secondary school education Queen's Royal College is the oldest secondary school in the city. The college is noted for its famous German Renaissance architecture and tradition of multi-faceted education which continues to produce some of Trinidad and Tobago's leading thinkers, athletes, artists and politicians.

The foundation stone of the building was laid on 11 November 1902 by Courtney Knollys, who was the acting Governor of the day. The structure was designed by Daniel M. Hahn, who was Chief Draughtsman of the Public Work Department and a Old Boy of Queen's Royal College, during the period when the school was housed at the Princess Building. Constructed at a cost of 15000 British pounds, the original building accommodated six classes for 30 boys each.

The lecture hall could hold over five hundred persons at a time. Notwithstanding the German origin of the plan, a legacy perhaps of Mr Hahn's student days in Berlin, the design of the interior is very definitely tropical with a delightfully aristocratic touch from the days when European school architecture was austere. QRC was not free at some point but after a couple years it became free.

The second southernmost building from the "Magnificent Seven" line-up on Maraval Road, at #21, is Hayes Court. This is the official residence of the Bishop of Anglican Church of Trinidad and Tobago and was purpose-built as such from the very beginning. It was completed in 1910.

Presented as an anonymous gift by two men, who offered to pay for the construction, the building looks rather unpretentious, yet stern. The house design, done by Taylor and Gillies, was indigenous and popular at the time. It features a combination of French Colonial accents and Scottish cast iron elements incorporated in decorative beams and columns of the veranda that wraps around the building on the north, east and south sides.

Traditional Demerara-style windows complete the western façade of the property, giving it a compelling elegant appearance. The floors are a mix of imported marble, ceramic, and terracotta tiles.

The mansion was named for Thomas Hayes, who served as archbishop in Trinidad and Tobago, from 1889 to 1904. Sadly, he died in England before the house was finished, so the very first resident in Hayes Court was Right Reverend John Francis Welsh.

Restricted public access is allowed.

A building of historical significance, the castle-house of Mille Fleurs, at 23 Maraval Road, was built in 1904 as a present from Dr Enrique Prada (1867–1944) to his wife, for whom it is named.

Dr Prada, known to have had keen interest in architecture, actively participated in the design and oversaw the construction together with George Brown of the Trinidad Trading Company. The result was the house of French provincial style with some elaborate carvings and other decorations.

The Pradas occupied the residence until 1923, when they sold it to Joseph Salvatori. The property remained in the Salvatori family until Joseph's daughter, Mrs Pierre Lelong, sold it to George Malouk, in 1973. The latter, in his turn, sold it to the government of Trinidad and Tobago in June 1979.

Throughout its history, the house had served several purposes and remained under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture until June 2000, when it was reassigned to the Ministry of Environment. However, after a period of time when it was not occupied or maintained, the property deteriorated significantly. Restored since, in August 2020 it was handed over to the National Trust.

The National Trust states, "Although Mille Fleurs is less ostentatious than some of its neighbours, the quality of finish and detailing is perhaps of a far higher quality." These include the intricately carved balusters and the marble treads and risers to both the main and secondary staircases, the elaborate cast iron columns and brackets.

Ambard's House, at 25 Maraval Road, is a French Second Empire-style mansion designed by French architect for Lucien F. Ambard. It was built in 1904.

The property has some lovely decorative features, such as colorful carvings, marble ornaments and cast iron elements. The latter were brought from Scotland, whereas the marble and tiles used in the construction were imported from Italy and France, respectively. For the rafters the builders used wood from the Ambard family estate in Erin.

Lucien Ambard lost the house to the Gordon Grant and Company in 1919, when he was unable to make the mortgage payments. Following that, it was inhabited by an American, William Pettigrew Humphrey, and his family, from 1925 to 1940. The house was purchased from Humphrey by Timothy Roodal and has remained within his family ever since.

To date, Ambard’s House is the only building from the “Magnificent Seven” to serve as a private residence. Well-maintained and true to its original design, it is now home of Roodal's granddaughter, Dr Yvonne Morgan. The combination of the resident's two family names, Roodal and Morgan, has given this beautiful house its popular nickname, the Roomor.

The Archbishop's House, at 27 Maraval Road, is the official residence of the Archbishop of Roman Catholic Church of Port of Spain. It was built from 1903 to 1904 by George Brown of the Trinidad Trading Company for Patrick Vincent Flood, the Fifth Archbishop of Port of Spain. Around the same time, most of the other “Magnificent Seven” residences on Maraval Road were also built, by wealthy French Creoles.

The original property, designed by an Irish architect in an Indian Empire architectural style, had a chapel and sacristy on the first floor. It also had a summer house and stables, which were accessed by an extended gallery on the west side of the main building.

The porch wrapping around the house is complemented by a porte-cochère with wide bay and six additional, narrower bays on the east façade. The west side has nine bays, plus another six bays on the south and north façades.

The building was remodeled extensively from 1968 to 1969, based upon the architectural design of Sonny Sellier. A chancery was added on the west side and a new apartment replaced the summer house and stables. In some cases, the performed renovations, overseen by the contractor Rev Father Kevin Devenish, deviated from the original aesthetic plan. For instance, the double wooden doors on the ground floor were replaced with sliding aluminum doors.

Immediately after the renovations were completed, Monsignor Anthony Pantin, the first Trinidadian-born Archbishop, settled in the house.

White Hall, at 29 Maraval Road, is the largest residence on the street. Originally called Rosenweg, it was built by Joseph Leon Agostini, a cocoa planter, and was based upon his own design plan. Agostini's family originated from Corsica, hence the influence of Moorish Mediterranean style typical of Southern Italy and Corsica.

Construction began in 1904, by James Moore of Barbados, and took three years to complete – all except the roof, which was completed in 1910. The exterior was clad in white limestone brought from Barbados. The three-storied building contained four reception halls, a library, drawing room, wine cellars, and large galleries. There were six bedroom suites with large dressing rooms and advanced, modern bathrooms. The house had long corridors, wide-sweeping marble staircases, and a service lift between floors.

Agostini died in 1906; his family occupied the residence until they were no longer able to continue mortgage payments, and so it was foreclosed in 1910. Some believe, however, that the Agostinis never lived in White Hall in the first place, as the cocoa industry, which was rather strong at the time the construction started, collapsed while it was still underway.

The new owner, an American, Robert Henderson, renamed it White Hall for the coral stone exterior. To complement the refined dignity of the exterior he also added a delightful variety of interior furnishings. Henderson's heirs, the Seigert family, possessed the house until World War II, when it was commandeered by the United States Forces as the Air Raid Precaution headquarters. In 1944, the building was rented for use as a cultural centre by the British Council.

Although it was returned to the Hendersons after the war, they never lived here again. It had then served a variety of purposes, including public library, National Archives, and Government Broadcasting Unit, until 1949. In 1954 the building was purchased by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, and from 1957 was used by the Pre-Federal Interim Government prior to the formation of the West Indies Federation, in 1958.

Honorable Dr. Eric Williams, Trinidad and Tobago's first Prime Minister, used it as his Office from 1963 to 2009. During that time, the building underwent restoration, in 2000. Eight years later, it was further renovated so it could be used to receive visiting foreign dignitaries.

The magnificent Stollmeyer's Castle, also known as Killarney, is a Scottish Baronial-style residence located at 31 Maraval Road. Built on land that was previously used as the government stock farm, this robust and elaborate structure was the first residence constructed in St Clair neighborhood.

It is named for Charles Fourier Stollmeyer, the first owner, who hired the Scottish architect Robert Gillies to design the house, which is said to be patterned after a wing of Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The two-year construction began in 1902. When his wife said that she preferred a simpler home, Stollmeyer gave the house to his son, Conrad, whose wife, in turn, named it for Killarney, Ireland.

Similarly to the nearby White Hall, during World War II the property was commandeered by the United States Forces, who called it "The Castle". Following that, it started to be called Stollmeyer's Castle. After the war, the property remained within the Stollmeyer family until 1972, when it was bought by an insurance executive, Jessy Henry A Mahabir.

Seven years later, the government of Trinidad and Tobago acquired the building. In the late 1990s, it was restored and is currently under the care of the Office of the Prime Minister, and is a heritage site protected by the National Trust. The most recent restoration project, in 2008, fitted the building for use by visiting foreign dignitaries.

President's House is the official residence of the President of Trinidad and Tobago. The house is located next to the Botanical Gardens in Port of Spain. The house was built in 1876, however a previous building on the site, known as "The Cottage" was used as the Governor's residence from 1867. The stonework facade of the 1876 construction is made local blue limestone, while the roof is covered with Welsh Dutchess slate. The building contains Italian-style arched doorways and loggias, as well as Victorian-style columns and railings.

From 1876 the house continued to be used as the residence of the Governor of Trinidad and Tobago until 30 April 1958, when it became the residence of the Governor-General of the West Indies Federation. Trinidad and Tobago attained independence on 31 August 1962. The house was then used as a museum and Art Gallery for a time, before the house became the residence of the Governors-General once again. When Trinidad and Tobago became a republic in 1976, the Governor-General's house was subsequently designated as "The President's House", and became the residence of the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Today, as well as being the President's private residence, the house is used for national awards and swearing-in ceremonies, as well as diplomatic receptions. The President's office is located in a separate building in the grounds of the house.