An exclusive peek at the British-era Kitchener House at Fort William in Kolkata

Fort William, the Army Barracks built in Kolkata during the British rule still stands with the beauty of an architectural marvel. Today Fort William is the property of the Indian Army. The building is not open to the public, but News18 managed to catch a glimpse of it and bring some pictures for its readers. The headquarters of the Eastern Command was located here, with a provision to accommodate 10,000 military personnel. Inside Fort William is an entire city. You can see barracks dating back to the British era and each building has a history of over 200 years. The Kitchener House is one of them. Built in 1771, it is located in the Treasury Gate, one of the seven gates of Fort William. Initially it was used as a residential accommodation for officers of the British Army.

The building was converted into the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian Army in 1784. The Governor General of India, Lord Wellesley also lived here from 1789 to 1803. After the British shifted their capital to Delhi in 1911, it became an officers’ mess.

The building was named after H.H. Kitchener, 1st Earl of Khartoum, who lived in the house in 1902 as Commander in Chief. This beauty combines the style of Gothic and Georgian architecture. Upon entry, a painting of the Royal Bengal Tiger and an installation of a rickshaw puller will welcome you.

There is also a time gun which was made in 1756. Every day at 13.00, it signaled to ships on the Hooghly River. The Officers’ Mess is still well maintained and has a splendid display of British style articles.

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