Murray House

Murray House is a -era building in in Hong Kong. The building is relocated from . Built in 1844, it is part of Murray Barracks when Hong Kong was under the 4th year of as a crown colony. It was named after Sir George Murray, the British Master-General of the Ordnance at the time of construction. The designer and constructor are Major Aldrich and Lieutenant Collinson of the Royal Engineers. It was initially used as barracks by the .

Architecture

Murray House was the oldest surviving public building in Hong Kong. Similar to many of its "contemporaries" from the early colonial era, it was designed in style. The heavy stone walls are located on ground floor to give sense of stability; while the lighter and columns are placed on the floors above to allow better ventilation. The building also adopted some measures such as putting verandas on all sides and each floors to response to the local subtropical/monsoons climate.

During the era of Japanese occupation

During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the building was used as the command centre by the Japanese military police. It was a venue for executing Chinese citizens during the 44 month Japanese occupation. After World War II, several government departments used the building as office, including the Rating and Valuation department headquarters, starting in 1975. The building was believed to be haunted and was officially exorcised twice by the government.

Relocation of the building in Stanley

In 1982, the historical landmark was dismantled to yield to the new Bank of China Tower. Over 3,000 building blocks were labelled and catalogued for future restoration. In 1990, the Housing Department proposed to resurrect the building in Stanley. The building was restored in 1998 and reopened in 1999.

Hong Kong Maritime Museum

Hong Kong Maritime Museum is located on the ground floor, Murray House.