Officers Mess, Cannons & Rail Trolley Inside Fort St George Madras, 1885 Photo
An 1885 photograph shows the officer mess, canons, and a rail goods trolley inside Fort St George in Madras (Chennai). The photo offers a rare view inside the British fort. The first building on the right, which appears to face the sea, is the officers’ mess house. Two cannons mounted on wooden carriages stand in front of the building, while another wooden carriage rests on a rail trolley seen in the foreground.
In the far background is the unmissable tower of the Madras Lighthouse. It watches over the city like a silent sentinel, an iconic landmark at the time. The tall Doric column lighthouse ceased functioning once the Madras High Court lighthouse came up in 1894.
The Mess House is one of the oldest surviving colonial buildings in India and reflects the early administrative and military history of the British East India Company. Constructed in the seventeenth century, the building initially housed merchants and commercial offices within the fortified settlement. Around 1800, as the East India Company reorganized Fort St George into a military and administrative headquarters, private traders and businesses were relocated outside the fort. The building then served as government offices until 1861.
After 1861, the structure was converted into the Officers’ Mess for the British regiment stationed at Fort St George, becoming an important social and dining venue for military officers during the colonial era. Following India’s independence, the historic building was repurposed once again. Since 1948, it has housed the Fort Museum. It preserves an exceptional collection of British-era paintings, weapons, uniforms, coins, medals, and memorabilia. Click image to enlarge.
Did you know – Fort St George was originally built to protect the East India Company’s trading interests along the Coromandel Coast.
