As Cuddalore moves into 2026, a sweeping conservation movement is breathing new life into the city’s colonial-era landmarks. Beyond the grand Old Collectorate, the Building Centre and Conservation Division of the Public Works Department (PWD) has focused its technical expertise on two other critical relics of the 17th and 18th centuries: the District Medical Officer’s (DMO) Bungalow and the historic Fort St. David. These projects, initiated in late 2025, represent a ₹25 crore investment in the city’s identity as the former British seat of power on the Coromandel Coast.
The 300-Year-Old Medical Officer’s Bungalow
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| Medical Officer’s Bungalow thehindu.com |
The PWD will soon undertake restoration of the Medical Officer’s bungalow, said to be over 300-years-old at Devanampattinam in Cuddalore. Two heritage 17th century structures in Cuddalore which earlier served as the Medical Officer’s bungalow and the more than a century-old Port Officer’s building, are now in disuse in Devanampattinam — are set to be restored
Located in Devanampattinam near Silver Beach, the Medical Officer's bungalow is a rare 17th-century single-storey structure spanning 4,758 square feet. Having stood in a state of decay for decades, a ₹5.25 crore restoration was launched in November 2025. This building is an architectural hybrid, featuring a Mangalore-tiled roof supported by heavy timber rafters and elegant arches that lean toward the Indo-Saracenic style.
The current restoration is a meticulous "brick-by-brick" effort. PWD engineers are replacing decayed wooden beams with high-quality teak wood and re-plastering the massive pillars using traditional lime mortar to ensure the walls can withstand the coastal humidity. The project also involves replacing modern cement patches with authentic Cuddapah stone flooring and renewing ornamental cornices that had been eroded by sea salt and invasive vegetation.
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| Cuddalore City, TamilNadu shutterstock.com |
Fort St. David: A Fresh Lease of Life
Built on the banks of the Gadilam River, Fort St. David was once the most important British possession in South India after Fort St. George in Madras (Chennai). After decades of being maintained solely by the Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC) and suffering damage from 2011's Cyclone Thane, the district administration approved a ₹15 crore restoration plan in late 2025.
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| Ft. David,Cuddalore, cuddalore.nic.in |
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| Ft.David,Cuddalore, TN .thehindu.com |
Above image: Elihu Yale (benefactor of Yale Univesity,USA), then Governor of Madras, acquired the fort and named it after a Welsh saint. Currently,the fort is being maintained by the Arcot Lutheran Church.In 2022 U.S. architects visited the crumbling fort structure for onsite study of restoration and conservation. Historically an important small fort, Ft.David witnessed various confrontation between the French India Company forces led by Dupleix and English company forces led by Robert Clive........
The current 2026 conservation phase focuses on adaptive reuse, a unique concept recently developed to reuse the restored heritage building, thus saving money and constriction of another building.About Ft. David, while the structure remains under Church control, heritage experts are stabilizing the fortified walls and clearing the famous underground tunnels—some of which are rumored to link directly to the Old Collectorate. The goal is to transform the fort into a heritage tourism hub, showcasing its history through a museum and public displays of recovered artifacts, such as the 18th-century cannons.
A Unified Heritage Circuit
Together with the Port Officer's building, these structures form a "Heritage Ensemble" in Cuddalore. By using period-accurate materials and specialized saline treatments, the Tamil Nadu government is ensuring that these monuments—once symbols of colonial administration—become enduring centers for local culture and tourism.
Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam in November,2025 the laid the foundation stone for the restoration of two heritage structures — the Medical Officer’s bungalow dating back to the 17th century and the over a century-old Port Officer’s building at Devanampattinam in Cuddalore. The PWD's Conservation Division was to carry on the restoration work under the care of heritage experts.
Sources:
https://nmma.nic.in/nmma/NAS1/nmma_doc/IAR/Indian%20Archaeology%201999-2000%20A%20Review.pdf
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