Murray House

Murray House
300px Murray House is now situated in Stanley
Traditional Chinese	美利樓
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Měilì Lóu Yue: Cantonese Jyutping mei3 lei6 lau4 IPA [mēilèi lɐ̏u]

File:Murray Building Level1 Outside View.jpg

The architecture of Murray House

Murray House is a popular location for wedding photography

Murray House is a Victorian-era building in Stanley, Hong Kong. Built in the present-day business district of Central in 1844 as officers' quarters of the Murray Barracks, the building was moved to the south of Hong Kong Island during the 2000s.

Architecture

Murray House was one of the oldest surviving public buildings in Hong Kong. Similar to many of its contemporaries from the early colonial era, it was designed in Classical architecture style. The heavy stone walls (with flat arched opening) are on the ground floor to give a sense of stability, while the lighter Doric and Ionic columns are on the floors above to allow better ventilation. All floors have verandas on all sides in response to the local subtropical/monsoons climate.

History

Early history

Murray House was built in 1844 as officers' quarters of the Murray Barracks during the early years of British rule. It was named after Sir George Murray, the British Master-General of the Ordnance at the time. The designer and constructor were Major Aldrich and Lieutenant Collinson of the Royal Engineers.

Japanese occupation

During the 44-month Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the building was used as the command centre by the Japanese military police. It was also the execution place for some Chinese citizens.

Post-war period

After World War II, several government departments used the building as offices, including the Rating and Valuation Department, starting in 1965. The building was believed to be haunted and was officially exorcised twice by the government.

Move to Stanley

File:Murray house high.JPG

Murray House and Blake Pier in Stanley.

In 1982, the historical landmark was dismantled to yield to the new Bank of China Tower. Over 3,000 building blocks were labelled and catalogued for future restoration. In 1990, the Housing Department proposed the resurrection of the building in Stanley. The building was restored in 2001 and reopened in 2002.

Hong Kong Maritime Museum

The Hong Kong Maritime Museum was established on the ground floor of Murray House in 2005, then moved to Pier 8 in Central in February 2013.

See also

• Blake Pier at Stanley
• Heritage conservation in Hong Kong
• List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong

External links

• Video on its history (large 7MB)
• Satellite view of the site – building at centre of image.
• Pictures of Murray House in its original location: [1] [2] [3]