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 (1926-2009) 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.

Update

23 October, 2010: I returned to the Farquhar Street Mission House in the company of Puan Maimunah Mohd Sharif of the George Town World Heritage Office and Professor Dr. A Ghafar Ahmad, the Deputy Commissioner of Heritage with the Department of National Heritage. We found the property to be in an advance state of dilapidation brought about by neglect, natural weathering and deliberate facilitation. Read more about the Oldest Protestant Church Building in Penang.

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.

Related Sites

Sungai Nibong Gospel Hall

Burmah Road Gospel Hall

Gospel Hall: Brethren Assemblies in Malaysia

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.