Matilda House

Matilda House
General information
Status Private
Type Bungalow
Architectural style Colonial
Address 78 Punggol Walk, Singapore 822271
Town or city Punggol
Country Singapore
Coordinates Coordinates: 1°24′18.5″N 103°53′55.5″E / 1.405139°N 103.898750°E / 1.405139; 103.898750
Named for Josephine Matilda Cashin
Construction started 1902 (1902)
Completed 1902 (1902)
Renovated 2015
Owner Sim Lian Group
Joseph Cashin (former)
Howard Cashin (former)
Alexander Cashin (former)
Landlord Urban Redevelopment Authority
Joseph Cashin (former)
Howard Cashin (former)
Alexander Cashin (former)
Technical details
Floor count 1
Floor area 4,488 square feet (416.9 m2)
Other information
Number of rooms 6

Matilda House is one of the oldest houses in Singapore. Located in Punggol, it is very close to the Soo Teck LRT Station. Built in 1902, it originally belonged to Mr Alexander Cashin, whose family history in Singapore can be traced back to the early 1840s. It has entrances on two sides of the main building, an open balcony at the front façade, and a long verandah. It was conserved by Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority in February 2000. The house is currently part of a new residential condominium complex, "A Treasure Trove", which was completed in 2015. The façade and interior are restored and has been converted into a clubhouse.[1][2]

History

Matilda House before government acquisition

Background

The house was completed in 1902 and was built by Alexander Cashin for his wife. The house was named after Alexander's mother, Josephine Matilda Cashin, and hence the name, "Matilda House". It was a single-storey tropical-style bungalow with four bedrooms and servant-quarters attached. The house was set within a large garden with coconut and various kinds of fruit trees and also includes a horse-stable, tennis-courts and is nearby a small fishing village on the side close to the seafront. It mainly served as a weekend retreat for the Cashins.[3]

The ownership of the house was later passed on to Howard Cashin, where he resided in together with his wife and children after returning from England where he studied law in 1953. In the 1960s, the ownership was then further passed on to his brother, Joseph Cashin, where Joseph lived in along with his sister and their mother.

Government acquisition

Matilda House in 2006, with Soo Teck LRT station in the background.

In 1985, the government acquired one million meters square of land in Punggol, including the Matilda Estate, which the house was a part of and the Cashins were asked to move out of the property.[4] Given conservation status on February 21, 2000, the land around the building was cleared, and the house was the only building standing. Due to disuse and lack of maintenance, the house fell into ruins and inspired rumours of it being haunted and that it cannot be demolished.[5] It was referred as "Ghost House" or Istana Menanti (The Waiting Palace).

Matilda House was given conservation status by Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority in February 2000. Despite redevelopments in the surrounding area, it stands as a reminder of the past to the residents of Punggol.

In 2010, the site which the house sits on was put on for sale.[6] It was a frequent haunt for photographers, especially for those who want to take night shots of the place, until the site the house was sold in 2012 for redevelopment.

Re-development

In 2012, the site on which the house sits on was sold to property developer Sim Lian Group, which is planning to develop the site into a residential condominium known as "A Treasure Trove". The sale conditions included the need to conserve and restore the building and integrate it as part of the housing project. The house was eventually converted into the condominium's clubhouse in 2015 and houses amenities such as function rooms and a gym for its condominium residents.[7]

The house was featured in a 1980s television serial, Tenko, which are about the experiences of British, Australian and Dutch women who were captured after the fall of Singapore in February 1942 during World War II.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Keen interest to restore Cashin House". AsiaOne. April 21, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  2. ↑ http://www.ura.gov.sg/uol/media-room/forum-replies/2013/sep/forum13-18.aspx
  3. ↑ "Matilda House". National Library Board. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Home feature: Matilda House". Property Guru. June 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  5. ↑ "4 Haunted Places to Inspire Singaporean Horror Writers". Monsters Under the Bed. September 29, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Punggol residential site with historic house put up for sale". AsiaOne (Originally by The Straits Times). October 27, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Matilda House gets new life as condominium clubhouse". The Straits Times. October 18, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
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