An Oasis of Solitude

Posted by GummyBear under Buildings and Monuments, National History
(0) Comment • (2294) Reads • Permalink

There are so few things in Singapore that have weathered the test of time, remained unchanged and in a sense, become immortal.

The little Armenian Church in Hill Street should really be counted as one of the nation’s iconic buildings but all too many people just pass it by without a second glance and that’s a pity.

If you take the time to walk down the church’s graveled driveway, you’ll be transported back to a much earlier time in Singapore’s history.

The Armenian Church of Saint Gregory holds claim to being the oldest church in the country.

Building started in 1835 and the church was consecrated the following year. It was designed by George Coleman the man behind such extraordinary feats of architecture like the Saint Andrew’s Cathedral and Parliament House.

The church’s pure white spire and imposing Roman Doric columns set a dramatic tone as one enters this quaint place of worship. The walls bear witness to the history of the small Armenian community in Singapore. At the time the church was built, there were only 16 registered Armenians.

The community, while still small, has much to be proud of. Among Singapore’s notable Armenians pioneers were Catchick Moses, who co-founded The Straits Times newspaper, the Sarkies brothers who were behind the world-famous Raffles Hotel, and Agnes Joaquim after whom Singapore’s national flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim, was named.

The church had such an influence of the community that one of the streets bordering the church was subsequently renamed Armenian Street.

The Memorial Garden of St Gregory

The building itself is stark, functional and quiet as one would expect – a perfect setting to soak in the atmosphere and reflect the history which envelopes you.

Its Memorial Garden is of special historical interest. The Armenian pioneers were buried in the old cemetery in Government Hill and after 1865, in the Bukit Timah cemetery. All the tombstones that could be recovered from that cemetery were reassembled in 1988 to form the Memorial Garden. And one of the weathered tombstones is that of Agnes Joaquim.

The building was gazetted as a national monument on the July 6 1973. More recently it was used as an exhibition site for the Singapore Biennale in 2006.

Editor’s Note:

Click here to view the inaugural episode of HeritageTV which takes a poignant look at the Armenian Church.

Rating: +1