 |
| Flagstaff House Barrackpore House telegraphindia.com |
 |
| Southern Façade of Govt House before restoration.thehindu.com |
 |
| Flagstaff House Barrackpore House telegraphindia.com |
 |
| Restored Barrackpore House.telegraphindia.com |
 |
| Barrackpore, West Bengal mapsofindia.com/ |
 |
| Gov. Gen. Warren Hastings, Presidency of Calcutta. en.wikipedia.org |
 |
| Summer House of Barrackpore, thefridaytimes.com |
Above image: The Barrackpore House is a historical building in Barrackpore town (located 14 miles from Calcutta), West Bengal that had been widely used as a summer house after 1864 for a long time by Viceroys and Governors of Bengal.
 |
| Gov. generals' house, Barrackpore, WB..indiatimes.com |
 |
| Summer House of Barrackpore 1807, puronokolkata.com |
 |
| Gov. Gen. of India Richard Wellesley, en.wikipedia.org |
Above image: First to discover Barrackpore a great place for peaceful living in style and was keen to build government palace amidst an English park., Richard Colley Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, KG, (20 June 1760 - 26 September 1842) was an Irish and British politician and colonial administrator; 2nd Earl of Mornington. in 1799, he was granted the Irish peerage title of Marquess Wellesley. He served as the Governor-General of Bengal between 1798 and 1805..........
Barrackpore, located about 22 km north of Kolkata, holds a unique place in the history of British India. Among its early colonial landmarks, the Barrackpore Government House—often called the Summer House of the Viceroys—stands as the grandest reminder of its heritage. Before 1912, when the capital shifted to New Delhi, Barrackpore House served as a tranquil retreat for as many as twenty-four Governor-Generals and Viceroys of India.
The central hall was once a venue for week-end balls and entertainments. The main central drawing room served for prayer and services before Barrackpore Church was built in 1847. Here, famous preacher Bishop Heber (who unfortunately died in Tiruchirappalli town, TN while on a visit) preached in 1823. Famous evangelists Carey, Marshman and Ward frequently visited Barrackpore House as guests of the Governor General.
The settlement around Barrackpore was among the earliest cantonments of the East India Company. Landscaped gardens, straight avenues, well-planned intersections, and riverfront bungalows gave the town a distinctly European character. It was considered a “White town,” in contrast with Calcutta’s congested native quarters. The calm Hooghly river, green lawns, and parkland made the region a perfect escape from the pressures of governance.
The idea of a summer residence at Barrackpore began with Lord Wellesley, Governor-General from 1798 to 1805. Captivated by the cool breeze from the river and the serenity of the countryside, he envisioned a grand government palace amid gardens designed like the English countryside. He acquired nearly 900 bighas of land and began construction, but his tenure ended before the plan was completed. No surviving blueprint of his original design exists today, as time and neglect erased most records.
It was Warren Hastings, another prominent Governor-General, who completed a simplified version of the house. Rather than an extravagant mansion, the structure became a refined, one-storey bungalow with wide verandahs, elegant facades, and spacious rooms that caught the south breeze. Hastings added delicate embellishments, including a lotus-shaped fountain and a marble sundial from Agra. Later Governors-General made minor changes—Lord Barlow added small verandah rooms, Lord Hastings extended side wings and an upper entrance hall used as a billiard room, and subsequent Viceroys introduced electricity and ornamental features. Still, its charm lay in its simplicity.
The house also served as a cultural and social hub. The central hall hosted dinners, weekend balls, and even Sunday services before Barrackpore Church was built in 1847. Distinguished preachers like Bishop Heber conducted prayers here in 1823, and missionaries such as Carey, Marshman, and Ward were frequent guests. Lady Canning, famous for her love of art and gardening, adored Barrackpore Park. She created elegant outdoor sitting spaces and a beautifully terraced area around the lotus fountain—known today as Lady Canning Terrace. She was buried in the grounds after her death.
After independence, however, the site suffered—buildings decayed, the park became overgrown, and the once-grand precinct slipped toward oblivion. The turning point came around 2016, when heritage enthusiasts, historians, and organizations such as INTACH urged the West Bengal Government to intervene. A full restoration followed: the building façade was repaired, verandahs stabilized, damaged stonework recreated, and the fountain, bridge, pathways, and sundial brought back to working order. The surrounding park was reopened to the public with walking paths, landscaped gardens, benches, and lighting.
Today, Barrackpore House once again reflects its colonial-era grandeur. A small museum inside displays British-era arms, portraits, architectural drawings, and memorabilia connected to the Governor-Generals. More importantly, the site has re-entered Bengal’s historical map—not as a forgotten colonial relic, but as a restored heritage landmark accessible to visitors, students, and researchers interested in the layered history of India’s past.
https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2019/10/barrackpore-house-west-bengal-habitual.html
