Archbishop’s Palace

Archbishop's Palace was constructed in 1903 by Patrick Vincent Flood, the Fifth Archbishop of Port of Spain, at a period when affluent estate-owning French Creoles were constructing on Maraval Road. The design, which was influenced by Indian Empire architecture, was created in Ireland by an Irish architect. George Brown of the Trinidad Trading Company oversaw the construction, which was finished in 1904. During 1968 and 1969, when the bottom level was nearly totally remodeled, the building experienced major alterations. To the west of the main structure, a Chancery was built, and the summer house and stables were demolished and rebuilt with a new apartment. The first floor, the sacristy, the chapel, and a room in the house's southwest corner have all been restored to its former state. Sonny Sellier designed the refurbishment, while Rev Father Kevin Devenish was the contractor. Monsignor Anthony Pantin, the first Trinidadian-born Archbishop, moved in when the building was completed in 1969.

The porch, which surrounds the building, has seven bays on the east façade, including the Porte-cochere, which is broader than the others. The north and south facades each have six bays, while the west facade has nine bays. Ceramic tile has lately been replaced as the flooring. The original floor material, on the other hand, is still visible in the sacristy and chapel. The handrail and baluster ornamentation are both made of wood. The west façade of the building has a four-bay-deep extended gallery that served as the original entry to the stables and summer house.

Although parts of the original designs have been preserved, the restorations are not regarded to be in line with the original architecture. The twin wooden doors to the bottom level, in particular, have been replaced with aluminum sliding doors, undermining the original elegance. Original doors, on the other hand, may be located on the ground floor's southeast corner. The windows' design is likewise distinctive, with the glass mounted on a wooden frame.

Location: Port of Spain, Trinidad