Doveton House-chennai

Doveton House, currently housing Women’s Christian College (WCC), is a historical building in chennai constructed by the renowned architect Benjamin Roebeck, in the year 1798, when Wordsworth and Coleridge published their Lyrical Ballads.Doveton House was initially used as a residential building where English officials stayed, during their visit to chennai.

Doveton House is marked with pillars very typical of the colonial structures, in the front and the arched staircase that resemble the half moon in shape, at the back. Doveton House resemble another famous building of the same period – the White House. It was the second European style house, built in the then paddy fields in Nungambakkam, chennai.
Doveton House derived its name from Lt. General John Doveton, who obtained it in 1837. History says that Lt. General John Doveton had stepped in Madras or Chennai in 1783 and passed away in 1847. He was the soldier-in-charge who supervised Tippu Sultan’s sons, when when Lord Cornwallis held them as hostages in Madras (chennai).

Doveton House seems to have served as a place for keeping prisoners in custody. Gaekwad of Baroda was held in Doveton house, for trying to kill a British resident in his state.

Though many famous personalities stayed in this house,the name “Doveton House” stuck on. Sir Ralph Benson, a Madras High Court Judge, who left Madras in 1913, was the last person to live in Doveton House. In 1916, Women’s Christian College (WCC) moved into Doveton House. Doveton House has since then been a eat of learning to many generations and continues to be so, as WCC is administered from these buildings and classes are being held even today.

Though more than 200 years have passed, since Doveton House was constructed, this magnificient building continues to be an architectural marvel. Enjoy a visit to Doveton House in a city trip to Chennai, India!!!

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