A Georgian mansion
White columns and verandas.
Cmglee — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Thesamacbook — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cmglee — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cmglee — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cmglee — CC BY-SA 3.0
An elegant white Georgian mansion on the bank of the Air Itam River west of George Town, on the site of the pepper estate owned by Francis Light, founder of the British settlement on Penang, whose simple timber house stood here until his death in 1794. The present mansion was built in the early nineteenth century by William Phillips, who later became governor of the island, in the Georgian style with rows of columns, arches and broad verandas; it served as a governors' residence and a venue for balls, then was neglected for decades until it nearly collapsed. It was carefully restored and won a 2008 UNESCO Asia-Pacific award of distinction for cultural heritage conservation. You can visit on a self-guided tour for a fee of about twenty ringgit, usually redeemable at the house's restaurant, and guided group tours can be booked. The house hosts weddings and events, so visiting hours can change; check before you go. It is about a quarter of an hour by taxi from the city centre.
White columns and verandas.
The settlement's founder.
Heritage saved from ruin.
Jalan Air Itam, about six kilometres west of central George Town
Usually the entry fee is redeemable for food or drink of the same value at the house's restaurant, so the tour and a break go together.
