Gorton Castle - Simla - 1904

The Mall, Simla.

Deriving its name from the former estate upon which it was built, this was the Government of India Secretariat Building from where the

affairs of this vast country were administered during the summer months.
Commanding a hilltop position, Gorton Castle is a vast pile some 400ft in length and 100ft wide. It is 110ft at its highest point. At the

request of the then Viceroy, Lord Curzon, the preliminary drawings were made by Colonel Sir Swinton Jacob but were later amended by

Major HF Chesney RE to suit the size of the plot. Built of solid grey Sanjauli stone, its original red tile roof has been replaced by

galvanised red iron; roof tiles were too easily removed by Simla's brigade of wild monkeys!

Completed in 1904, it position, size and architecture enhances Simla's fairytale setting amongst the hills and the deodars. Although a

very important imperial building, Gorton Castle is not intimidating as perhaps the Imperial Secretariat Buildings in Calcutta are (see my

photo atwww.flickr.com/photos/23268776@N03/3406315478/in/set-7215... and I disagree somewhat with the oft-used description of

Gorton Castle being a "gaunt, sinister edifice built in a style resembling Scottish baronial."

It now houses the Accountant-General of Himachal Pradesh.

Gorton Castle, Shimla

Sir S. Swinton Jacob, modified by Major H. F. Chesney

1901-4

Stone set in lime; red galvanized iron roofing

The Mall, Shimla

Other Views
Main entrance
 Detail from side, showing Rajasthani-style balconies and
pointed tower

Photograph, caption, and commentary by Jacqueline Banerjee

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer
and (2) link your document to this URL.]

Col. Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, who drew up the original plan for this building, was a well-known engineer and architect working
in India. He was not a Simla man; he was the consulting engineer to Jaipur, where he had developed an irrigation system and also
produced some fine work "in the Indo-Sarcanic style, which combined Hindu, Muslim and Western traditions" (Ellinwood 187),
including the Lalghar Palace in Bikanir (1881) and the Albert Hall in Jaipur itself (opened as a museum in 1887). He was also
responsible for the original red sandstone buildings of St Stephen's College at Kashmere Gate in Delhi (1891), and had the
reputation of being "the best professional architect in India" (Lord Curzon's words, qtd. in Kanwar 308). So it was to him that Lord
Curzon turned for a design for a new Government Secretariat in Simla. Swinton Jacob's plan was just to Curzon's liking, and
ideally suited to the commanding, airy hilltop plot which had originally been donated to the government for a hospital. Although
the plan had to be modified later by the Resident Engineer, Major Chesney, the prominent four-storey structure still looked much as
both Swinton Jacob and Curzon had intended. Pamela Kanwar describes it well as "a picturesque, multi-faceted building." As she
says, "The entrance has a chalet-like appearance with a large portico with a decorative frieze. Its sides have prominent bay
windows. Its solid grey stone walls are surmounted by square as well as high-pitched pointed towers" (308, 309). Like many other
buildings in Shimla, Gorton Castle has red galvanized iron roofing, which in this case contributes to a fairytale feel; seen from a
distance, its red towers stand out brightly amid the surrounding deodar trees. The building, which was faithfully restored in 2001-3,
is now used as the office of the Accountant General of Himachal Pradesh.

Sources