BCD Special Report on
Historic Churches
19
th annual edition
3
cultural and architectural landscape, and
have been recognised and listed by the
local authority as heritage buildings.
The aim of this article is to highlight the
historical and architectural significance of
these three historic churches and to outline
the conservation measures taken to save
St James’ Church, which was rededicated in
December 2011 by the Rt Revd Ashoke Biswas,
the 19th Bishop of Kolkata Diocese, after
nearly two years of careful conservation.
St John’s Church
St John’s Church, the original parish church
of Bengal, became the first Anglican cathedral
in the Indian subcontinent when the first
Bishop of Calcutta, Thomas Middleton,
preached his first sermon there on Christmas
Day, 1815. It remained a cathedral until the
consecration of St Paul’s Cathedral in 1847.
St John’s was the most eligible candidate
to take up the role of the East India Company’s
leading church in its leading city in India. Sir
Evan Cotton, author of Calcutta Old and New
(1907),
wrote ‘There are few public buildings
in Calcutta richer in their memories of bygone
days than the old church of St John’. It was built
on the site of the old burial ground, which
originally belonged to the Maharaja Nabakrishna
Deb, who gifted the land for the construction
of the church. Sandstone from Chunar was
brought for the steeple and blue marble from
the ruins of Gaur, the first capital of Bengal, for
the flooring. It took three years to complete and
was consecrated by Lord Cornwallis in 1787.
The church was designed by Lieutenant
James Agg of the Bengal Engineers. While its
inspiration was Sir James Gibbs’ St Martin-in-
the Fields (1722) in London, Agg incorporated
embellishments of his own and did away
with the portico found in many London
churches. The result is a classical temple of
Grecian columns with a diminutive Baroque
tower and spire, but adapted to Anglo-Indian
requirements: its portico and main entrance
was at the east, while the steeple housing
the clock and the church bell was at the west
end. The altar at the east end was enclosed
in an apse. The curious layout was probably
necessitated by the requirement of the
approach to the east, as the western part was
cluttered with tombs and mausolea, which
by 1802 were in such a state of irreparable
decay that they had to be removed. In many
ways it was this church rather than Gibbs’
original design which became the prototype
for many subsequent churches in India.
Historically, the church has undergone
several changes. In a Thomas Daniell aquatint
of 1788, we see the main entrance at the east
end with wide steps leading up to the majestic
portico, while the tower rises from what appears
to be the rear of the church. The congregation
thus entered the church from behind the
altar, allowing them to see who was present
without having to discreetly turn round in their
pews. However, this peculiar layout ultimately
proved too much for the propriety of tradition
and significant remodelling ensued. The west
end of the church was duly converted into
the main entrance, complete with a sheltered
porte-cochère (a covered, carriage entrance).
The eastern entrance was decommissioned.
The splendid steps remain, albeit worn out,
and the portico was turned into a sort of
demi porte-cochère, with flanking inclined access
drives known as palanquin slopes (a palanquin
being a covered litter carried by bearers).
The Doric pillars inside the church were
changed to Corinthian ones in 1811, and
during the same year the porticos on the
north and south sides were added. These
stately verandahs do not detract from the
original architecture, and are not easily
recognised as later additions, because they
were executed in a manner completely in
concert with the rest of the building.
In 1901 the north and south galleries
were removed, except the north west
portion and its timber spiral staircase.
St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s, which shares a visual axis with
the landmark Victoria Memorial building
(
Sir William Emerson, 1906–1921) was built
opposite the Bishop’s Palace on Chowringhee
Road. Construction began in 1839, when the
foundation stone was laid by Daniel Wilson,
Bishop of Calcutta, and it was completed in
1847.
With the consecration of St Paul’s as the
first Episcopal Church of the Orient in 1847, it
assumed the role of cathedral from St John’s.
St Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata
