The Red House

The Red House is the seat of Parliament in Trinidad and Tobago. The architectural design of the Red House is of Beaux-Arts style. The original building was destroyed in the 1903 Water Riots and was rebuilt in 1907. The Red House is located centrally within the capital city Port of Spain. It is currently used as a meeting place for parliament and elections and for political uses. In July 1990, the Red House was the site of the Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attempt, during which the Prime Minister and other members of the government were held hostage for six days and 24 people were killed. Original structure On 15 February 1844, then Governor of Trinidad, Sir Henry McLeod, laid the foundation stone for a new government administration building on the western edge of the Woodford Square, then known as Brunswick Square. This building was to be constructed on eight privately owned parcels of land. Then Superintendent of Public Works, Richard Bridgens designed the building and it was constructed by contractors, Messrs G. de la Sauvagere and A. A. Pierre. The building was to consist of a north and south blocks and connected by a double archway, much as the Red House of today. The double archway was a necessary architectural feature required by the City Council to keep patent Prince Street, as the buildings were constructed over this street. The Council stipulated that Prince Street should never be closed to the public and, pedestrian and wheeled traffic should pass freely. The southern block completed in 1848 contained the courts of law and the northern to colonial administration offices.