Farquhar Street Mission House and Chapel
35 Lebuh Farquhar, George Town



         




Farquhar Street Mission House and Chapel, at 35 Lebuh Farquhar, is one of the earliest premises of the brethren assemblies in this region. Today, what remains is Mission House, a dilapidated house located on the opposite side of Farquhar Street from The Promenade annex of the Eastern & Oriental Hotel. The brethren assemlies initiated at Farquhar Street Mission House and Chapel survives today as Burmah Road Gospel Hall and its sister assemblies in Penang, as well as in other brethren assemblies in Malaysia and Singapore.

Mission House was built by William Macdonald, a missionary of the Brethren assembly, between 1876 and 1878. It stands on a piece of land that an earlier missionary, Johann Georg Bausum @ John George Bausum, had purchased for the extension of the school that was founded by his first wife, Maria Dyer Bausum. The building was used until 1938, when the church moved to its new premises at Jalan Burma, where it was called Burmah Road Hall, and today, Burmah Road Gospel Hall.

There used to be another building, Mission Chapel, that stood next to Mission House. It was demolished when Lebuh Farquhar was widened in 1939.

Author's Note

My great grandmother, grandmother and mother worshipped at the Mission Chapel at 35 Farquhar Street, George Town, during the early part of the 20th century. At that time, my grandmother was staying in Air Itam. She would take my mother, who was still a small girl, to attend church at 35 Farquhar Street. They would take the tram to George Town. After my great grandmother and grandmother had passed on, my mother continued to worship at Burmah Road Hall. She was married there in 1947. My parents continued to worship there until the early 1970's when they moved to worship at Island Glades Gospel Centre, an offshoot of Burmah Road Gospel Hall. I started attending Sunday School and church there, until the early 1980's, when we moved to another spin-off branch, Sungai Nibong Gospel Hall.

I was unaware that original Mission House in Farquhar Street is still standing until I embark on a historical documentation of the heritage sites within George Town.

Getting there

The Mission House building is located along Lebuh Farquhar. Using the E&O Hotel front entrance as starting point, cross Lebuh Farquhar to The Garage. Turn right and go along the sidewalk at The Garage and you will arrive at the Mission House which is on the left side of the road. The address, No. 35, is still visible at the gate.

What to see and do there

The Mission House is pregnant with history, but has no touristic value. It is presently overgrown with shrubs. The grass is long and uncut. There is nothing here to interest the average tourist, unless the person has an interest in visiting a site where early Christian mission work in Penang was carried out in the 19th century.

Finding Accommodation in Penang

If you're going to Penang, you now have the option of finding accommodation in a hotel, or look for one in hostels and guesthouses. To book a room in a star-rated hotel, use the Penang Hotel Guide for Budget Travelers. To find accommodation in a Hostel or Guesthouse, use the Penang Guide to Hostels and Guesthouses. Each link provides detailed listing of the type of accommodation you can expect in Penang. Be aware that you get what you pay for. If you need a certain degree of comfort, then a star-rated hotel may be an ideal option for you. On the other hand, if you are able to forego a bit of creature comfort, then hostels and guesthouses are clean, safe, and incredibly good value for money. For accommodation in other destinations, visit Hotel Guide for Budget Travelers or Hostels & Guesthouses Accommodation Guide.

Acknowledgement

Penang Travel Tips would like to thank Mr KC Ung of Berita Bethel (http://www.berita-bethel-ung.com/) for assistance in verifying the accuracy of the information about this structure.

Bibliography

This building has a passing mention in the following book:




Farquhar Street Mission House and Chapel is a dilapidated house along Lebuh Farquhar


35 Farquhar Street, the Farquhar Street Mission House and Chapel, covered in undergrowth



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Thank you very much for visiting Penang Travel Tips! My name is Tim. I am the writer of this website. I created it to share with travel enthusiasts information that I have assembled about Penang, which I hope is useful to you, and is as accurate as I am able to put together.

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