The State House
Category: BuildingsThe State House, formerly known as the Government House, was first constructed in 1766, shortly after the British took over the governance of the island in 1763. The house was designated to the resident governor who represented the Crown. In addition, it was used as an office, a place of entertainment and as guesthouse for the visiting dignitaries.
The building was a two-storey high timber structure with a large wraparound verandah in tropical Victorian style. This would have become a memory when the hurricane of 1834, left the no more than a mound of stone ruins.
The new government house, which began in 1836, was a much less imposing stone structure, because Dominica has already fallen into economic decline in 1830. The building was extended in the 1890s and again in 1930, thus achieving a combination of architectural styles in an eclectic charm.
In 1979, the building again suffered damage by the passage of hurricane David. In 1980, major renovation and extension works began on the building, producing the present-day structure. From its inception until independence, the building had been used as the official residence of the Governor. It is now used as a venue for state and other similar receptions.
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