Mountain Lodge
Encyclopedia
Mountain Lodge was the former summer residence of the Governor of Hong Kong
on Victoria Peak
on the Hong Kong Island
in Hong Kong
. The second building was a two storey Renaissance
style home and was demolished in 1946. The site is now the Victoria Peak Garden
, a public park.
(1859 - 1865) had a path cut in December 1859 from what is now Robinson Road
to the top of Victoria Peak. The military authorities opened in the spring of 1862, a well-built sanatorium on the plateau below the flag-staff and sent 17 patients to be house their. However, the patients, like those in the rest of Hong Kong that year, did not improve and the military abandoned the site.
The site was then used for picnics until 1867
Granville and Matilda Sharp (after whom Matilda Hospital is named) whom had long advocated the Peak as a healthy alternative to the lower levels, took a lease of the deserted sanatorium.
(1866 - 1872), in 1867, obtained the site from the military and arrangements were made for a bungalow to be built for the Governor's use. He had noted that the temperature was 14°F less than Central District
in the summer.
There were three main buildings at the first Mountain Lodge. The Lodge itself, faced toward Pok Fu Lam
on one side, and the lawn on the other. Two smaller buildings, rather like large European style cabins, and faced the lawn with their backs to the hillside.
A strong typhoon damaged Mountain Lodge in 1874 and James Russell (judge), Chief Justice of the Hong Kong supreme court
, applied for a lease on the property in 1875, but it was not granted.
Governor Hennessy
(1877 - 1882) engaged in an umbrella fight with a judge at Mountain Lodge, and lost. Photos of two of three buildings on the site are at this reference.
Sir William H. Marsh was Colonial Secretary and then the acting Governor, from 1879 - 1886.. His wife, Mrs. Marsh advertised "at homes" at Mountain Lodge.
In 1892, another typhoon did some damage. You can see photos of both the first and second incarnations of Mountain Lodge at this reference.
A second "Mountain Lodge" was designed in 1892 by Francis Cooper, the Director of Public Works. In 1892, the Gate Lodge was built is in Renaissance style. However, when Sir Henry Arthur Blake
became Governor, he did not like the proposals.
Instead, he appointed Palmer & Turner for another design. This second design was constructed in the Renaissance
style of Scottish lodges and built between 1900 and 1902. The building was described by the media as the most imposing and handsome architecture on the peak.
Governor Sir Francis Henry May
and Lady May used it extensively and there are several photos of their family showing everyday life at Mountain Lodge 1910 - 1920. Thomas Southorn also lived there with his wife, including during 1925-36.
Notes on the Photo: The lawn in front of the mansion is now the car park for the Victoria Peak Garden
public park. The lawn on the lower left was the site of the first Mountain Lodge.
had it refurnished for his use in 1925, and included a small safe.
In 1932, it was proposed that the Governor have a house in Fan Ling, and plans were then made to abandon Mountain Lodge. In 1938, it was proposed that both Government House and Mountain Lodge be abandoned, and a single home built at Magazine Gap.
The Second World War intervened.
The building no longer exists as it was demolished in 1946. The Gate Lodge
and the granite foundations remain, however.
The whole site was opened as a park (the current Victoria Peak Garden
) to the public. The existing pavilion of the Garden was built upon the masonry platform of the former Mountain Lodge.
Three identical marking stones for the Lodge were rediscovered in 1978; since then, one of them has been placed at the northeast corner of the former lodge grounds. One of the three GOVERNORS RESIDENCE stones has been erected in a flowerbed close to the Government House
, Mid-levels
since 1980.
Plan of Mountain Lodge addictions, from 1879-1894
Plan of proposed Mountain Lodge September, 1899.
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
on Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island...
on the Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The second building was a two storey Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style home and was demolished in 1946. The site is now the Victoria Peak Garden
Victoria Peak Garden
Victoria Peak Garden is a Chinese style garden, managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It was once an alternate home for the Governor of Hong Kong. The residence, Mountain Lodge, has been demolished, but the park remains as an attraction at the Peak.It is a vantage point which...
, a public park.
2007 Archaeological discovery
During the Peak improvement project in January 2007, pieces of wall, roof tiles and several in situ granite steps beneath the ground were found on the former Mountain Lodge site during pre-construction checks. They have been confirmed to be the original tiles and steps of the second Mountain Lodge. A report with photos showing the original tiles and steps is available online.History - A Sanatorium
Governor Hercules RobinsonHercules Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead
Hercules George Robert Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead, GCMG, PC was a British colonial administrator who became the 5th Governor of Hong Kong...
(1859 - 1865) had a path cut in December 1859 from what is now Robinson Road
Robinson Road, Hong Kong
Robinson Road is a 2-lane, bi-directional road on the Mid-levels, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. In the east, it is connected with the Magazine Gap Road and Garden Road, and in the west with Babington Road and Park Road, Robinson Road is quite long. With Central-Mid-Levels escalator, it also...
to the top of Victoria Peak. The military authorities opened in the spring of 1862, a well-built sanatorium on the plateau below the flag-staff and sent 17 patients to be house their. However, the patients, like those in the rest of Hong Kong that year, did not improve and the military abandoned the site.
The site was then used for picnics until 1867
Granville and Matilda Sharp (after whom Matilda Hospital is named) whom had long advocated the Peak as a healthy alternative to the lower levels, took a lease of the deserted sanatorium.
The first Mountain Lodge
Governor MacDonnellRichard Graves MacDonnell
Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell KCMG CB was an Anglo-Irish lawyer, judge and colonial governor...
(1866 - 1872), in 1867, obtained the site from the military and arrangements were made for a bungalow to be built for the Governor's use. He had noted that the temperature was 14°F less than Central District
Central, Hong Kong
Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...
in the summer.
There were three main buildings at the first Mountain Lodge. The Lodge itself, faced toward Pok Fu Lam
Pok Fu Lam
Pok Fu Lam or Pokfulam is a residential area on Hong Kong Island, at the western end of the Southern District.Pok Fu Lam is a valley between Victoria Peak and Mount Kellet, around Telegraph Bay....
on one side, and the lawn on the other. Two smaller buildings, rather like large European style cabins, and faced the lawn with their backs to the hillside.
A strong typhoon damaged Mountain Lodge in 1874 and James Russell (judge), Chief Justice of the Hong Kong supreme court
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong
Chief Justice of Hong Kong or erroneously Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong was the most senior judge in the court system in Hong Kong until 1997....
, applied for a lease on the property in 1875, but it was not granted.
Governor Hennessy
John Pope Hennessy
Sir John Pope Hennessy, KCMG , was an Irish and British politician and colonial administrator who served as the eighth Governor of Hong Kong.-Early life:...
(1877 - 1882) engaged in an umbrella fight with a judge at Mountain Lodge, and lost. Photos of two of three buildings on the site are at this reference.
Sir William H. Marsh was Colonial Secretary and then the acting Governor, from 1879 - 1886.. His wife, Mrs. Marsh advertised "at homes" at Mountain Lodge.
In 1892, another typhoon did some damage. You can see photos of both the first and second incarnations of Mountain Lodge at this reference.
A second "Mountain Lodge" was designed in 1892 by Francis Cooper, the Director of Public Works. In 1892, the Gate Lodge was built is in Renaissance style. However, when Sir Henry Arthur Blake
Henry Arthur Blake
Sir Henry Arthur Blake GCMG, DL was a British colonial administrator, Governor of Hong Kong from 1898 to 1903.-Early life and career:...
became Governor, he did not like the proposals.
The second Mountain Lodge
PHOTO: 1903 Mountain Lodge, http://www.grs.gov.hk/PRO/imgroot/2-4/2-4-80.jpgInstead, he appointed Palmer & Turner for another design. This second design was constructed in the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style of Scottish lodges and built between 1900 and 1902. The building was described by the media as the most imposing and handsome architecture on the peak.
Governor Sir Francis Henry May
Francis Henry May
Sir Francis Henry May, GCMG was a British colonial administrator who became Governor of Hong Kong.-Early life and education:...
and Lady May used it extensively and there are several photos of their family showing everyday life at Mountain Lodge 1910 - 1920. Thomas Southorn also lived there with his wife, including during 1925-36.
Notes on the Photo: The lawn in front of the mansion is now the car park for the Victoria Peak Garden
Victoria Peak Garden
Victoria Peak Garden is a Chinese style garden, managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It was once an alternate home for the Governor of Hong Kong. The residence, Mountain Lodge, has been demolished, but the park remains as an attraction at the Peak.It is a vantage point which...
public park. The lawn on the lower left was the site of the first Mountain Lodge.
1920 through demolition
Sir Cecil ClementiCecil Clementi
-Early life and education:Born in Cawnpore, India, Clementi was the son of Colonel Montagu Clementi, Judge Advocate General in India, and his wife, Isabel Collard. He attended St Paul's School and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he studied Sanskrit and the classics. In 1895, he won the Hertford...
had it refurnished for his use in 1925, and included a small safe.
In 1932, it was proposed that the Governor have a house in Fan Ling, and plans were then made to abandon Mountain Lodge. In 1938, it was proposed that both Government House and Mountain Lodge be abandoned, and a single home built at Magazine Gap.
The Second World War intervened.
The building no longer exists as it was demolished in 1946. The Gate Lodge
Gate Lodge
Gate Lodge is a small house located at Mount Austin Road on Victoria Peak. Located on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, it was built between 1900 and 1902. Gate Lodge is in Renaissance style....
and the granite foundations remain, however.
The whole site was opened as a park (the current Victoria Peak Garden
Victoria Peak Garden
Victoria Peak Garden is a Chinese style garden, managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It was once an alternate home for the Governor of Hong Kong. The residence, Mountain Lodge, has been demolished, but the park remains as an attraction at the Peak.It is a vantage point which...
) to the public. The existing pavilion of the Garden was built upon the masonry platform of the former Mountain Lodge.
Three identical marking stones for the Lodge were rediscovered in 1978; since then, one of them has been placed at the northeast corner of the former lodge grounds. One of the three GOVERNORS RESIDENCE stones has been erected in a flowerbed close to the Government House
Government House, Hong Kong
Government House , located on Government Hill in the Central District of Hong Kong Island, is the official residence of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong...
, Mid-levels
Mid-levels
Mid-levels is an expensive residential area on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is located halfway up Victoria Peak, directly above Central...
since 1980.
Plans
Plan of Mountain Lodge proposed additions (floor plans and elevations), 28 October, 1873.Plan of Mountain Lodge addictions, from 1879-1894
Plan of proposed Mountain Lodge September, 1899.