President's House is the

official residence An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of th ...

of the

president of Trinidad and Tobago The president of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is the head of state of Trinidad and Tobago and the commander-in-chief of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. The office was established when the country became a republic in 1976, befor ...

, located in the capital city

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

. It is next to the Royal Botanic Gardens.

History

A previous building on the site, known as "The Cottage," had been used as the governor's residence since 1867. This residence, replacing it, was built in 1876. The stone facade is local blue

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

. The roof is covered with Welsh Dutchess slate. The building contains

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

columns and railings with Victorian

Italianate style The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Ita ...

arched portals and loggias. The mansion was used as the home of the

governor of Trinidad and Tobago This article lists governors of Trinidad and Tobago. Governors of Trinidad and Tobago 1889–1962 See also * List of governors of Trinidad *List of governors of Tobago *List of heads of state of Trinidad and Tobago *List of prime minister ...

from 1876 to 30 April 1958, when it became the residence of the

governor-general of the West Indies Federation Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

. Trinidad and Tobago attained independence on 31 August 1962. The mansion was then used as a museum and art gallery for a period, until it again became the residence of the governors-general. When Trinidad and Tobago became a

republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

in 1976, the governor-general's mansion was subsequently designated as "The President's House", and became the residence of the president of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Present day

Today, as well as being the president's private residence, the mansion is used for national awards and swearing-in ceremonies, as well as diplomatic receptions. The president's office is located in a separate building on the grounds of the mansion.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:President's House, Trinidad And Tobago Official residences Government buildings in Trinidad and Tobago Houses in Trinidad and Tobago Buildings and structures in Port of Spain Government of Trinidad and Tobago Government Houses of the British Empire and Commonwealth Houses completed in 1876 West Indies Federation Trinidad and Tobago–United Kingdom relations Victorian architecture in North America Presidential residences