Hill Street begins at the junction of Victoria Street and Stamford Road and extends to the edge of Chinatown area. It is one of Singapore's first roads and derives its name from its close association to Government Hill (Fort Canning Hill). The buildings that line Hill Street mirror Singapore's development from colonial founding to post-independence. These buildings include the MITA Building, the Central Fire Station, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Dawoodi Bohra Mosque.
History
Hill street was one of the earliest streets to be laid out in Singapore, engineered by its first town planner, Lieutenant Henry Ralfe. It was built soon after High Street and was laid alongside North Bridge Road in 1819. The street was named thus because it was situated right below the Government Hill. Important old and new buildings along this street make this stretch of road historically significant. Many buildings on this street are also noted for their architectural significance. Many of these buildings have their main entrances opening into nearby streets. Some buildings were brought down for reconstruction work. Among them was the Hill Street Centre built in 1984. Famous for its hawker stall and government offices in its top floor, the place had to make way for new construction in 2002. The U.S. Embassy also used to stand at 31 Hill Street until it moved in the early 1990s. The Embassy Building then was constructed before Singapore independence and was designed to serve as a consular service. Hill street is connected to Armenian Street by the Loke Yew Street and to North Bridge Road by two successive lanes, the St. Gregory's Place and Coleman Lane. It is also connected with North Bridge Road by High Street.
Description
Hill Street begins at the junction of Victoria Street and Stamford Road then bifurcates into two streets after it crosses the junction of Coleman Street and Canning Rise. These roads end in two neighbouring junctions: one at the point where River Valley Road and Eu Tong Sen Street meet and another at the junction of New Bridge Road and North Boat Quay. The Coleman Bridge links Hill Street to New Bridge Road.
Armenian Church is the oldest church in Singapore and is designated a national monument. Designed by George Coleman and built in 1835, it is dedicated to St Gregory the Illuminator.
The Dawoodi Bohra Mosque was built in 1895. This mosque for the Shia Dawoodi Bohra community is unusually vertical. Light enters from the high windows above the upper galleries and gives the place a solemn atmosphere. In those early days, the main Hill Street entrance was used only for important occasions and on a daily basis the entrance from the hawker stalls off St.Gregory's Place was used. The Mosque underwent major renovations recently.
The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry Building is situated opposite Armenian Church.Construction of this building began in 1962 and it was officially opened on 20th September 1964 by Lee Kuan Yew. The building's architecture was influenced by both western and Chinese styles. Dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship, the association helps its members conduct business in Singapore and other parts of the world. It also promotes Chinese customs and values, educational and cultural activities.
The Central Fire Station is easily recognisable with its red and white stripes. It was the first fire station to be built in Singapore in 1908. It also served as the residential quarters for the fire fighters and had garages for motor engines. It is interesting to note that this period coincided with the point of time in Singapore when motor engines were replacing horse-drawn engines. An extension was added to the building in 1926 and a further extension in red brick without plastered bands in the 1950s.
The Old Hill Street Police Station served as Singapore's earliest secure jail. Built in 1931 and officially opened in 1934, it housed both the police station and the living quarters for the police personnel. Amongst the finest police barracks of its time, it was the largest pre-war government building in Singapore. During the Japanese invasion, it was used to hold prisoners and is believed to have doubled as a torture chamber. It became a police station again after the war. In 1980, the police vacated the building and the National Archives and the Oral History Department moved in there in 1983 after re-christening it Hill Street Building. The building's shutters was painted in the shades of the rainbow when the Ministry of Information and the Arts (MITA) took residence there and is now informally known as the MITA Building. It was designated a national monument in 1998.
The Hill Street Food Centre still remains in popular memory for its much sought after kway teow and duck rice. The food court took the first two floors of the Hill Street Centre which was built in 1984. By 2000, the food court had been closed and soon after the Hill Street Centre was demolished.
The Grand Plaza Parkroyal Hotel, built in the mid-1990s, is one of the newest buildings along Hill Street. It sits at the junction of Hill Street and Coleman Street and is home to the famed Saint Gregory's Spa. The name is probably taken from the original site, which was known as St Gregory's Place, a possible reference to the Armenian's patron saint.
Other buildings that one can see on the either side of the street are the Stamford house, Stamford Court, Central Telephone Exchange, Funan Centre and the treasury building.
Variant Names
Chinese names: Ong ke sioa kha, which meant "foot of the Governor's hill'. Tiau kio thau which meant "at the end of the suspension bridge". The bridge referred to was the Coleman bridge.
Author
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja
References
Dhoraisingam, S. (1991). Singapore's heritage through places of interest (pp. 119, 251, 252). Singapore: Elixir consultancy service.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 SAM)
Dunlop, P. K. G. (2000). Street names of Singapore (pp. 103-104). Singapore: Who's who Publishing.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 DUN)
Edwards, N., & Keys, P. (1996). Singapore: A guide to buildings, streets, places (pp. 368, 383). Singapore: Times Books International.
(Call no.: RSING 915.957 EDW)
Lee, E. (1990). Historic buildings of Singapore (pp. 26, 47, 49). Singapore: Preservation of Monuments Board.
(Call no.: RSING 720.95957 LEE)
Savage, V. R., & Yeoh, B. (2003). Toponymics: A study of Singapore street names (p. 148). Singapore: Eastern Universities Press.
(Call no.: 915.9570014 SAV)
Uma D. G., et al. (2002). Singapore's 100 historic places (pp. 10-11, 38). Singapore: Archipelago Press.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 SIN))
Siow, D. (1988, September 9). US Embassy to move from Hill Street to new building. The Straits Times, p. 16.
Getforme. (1999-2000). Hill Street Food Centre to close on 31 December 2000. Retrieved March 15, 2004, from www.getforme.com/previous191200_HillStreetFoodCentre.htm
Further Readings
Access to archives Singapore. (n.d.). Online exhibitions. Retrieved March 10, 2003, from
www.a2o.com.sg/public/html/online_exhibit/index.jsp
Singapore Arts, Culture & Heritage Journey. [2002]. Ministry of Information and the Arts. Retrieved March 10, 2003, from
www.singaporeartsnculture.com/english/engmita.html
List of Images
Getforme. (1999-2000). Exploring Singapore. Retrieved March 10, 2003, from www.getforme.com/Explore_CityHall_citynorth_hillst.htm
The information in this article is valid as at 2003 and correct as far as we able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
