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The oldest Protestant Church Building in Penang, not counting the Anglican church, is believed to be Mission House at Farquhar Street. The building, which dates from around 1878, is unfortunately in an advanced state of dilapidation today. This is due not only to natural weathering and neglect, but also appears to have been deliberately facilitated.
I visited the site in the company of Puan Maimunah Mohd Sharif of the George Town World Heritage Office. We were there to show the historical building to Professor Dr. A Ghafar Ahmad, the Deputy Commissioner of Heritage with the Department of National Heritage. Also joining us were concerned individuals (whom I shall not name) and a member of the press.
It is extremely regretful to see this very historic building purposely driven to ruin. There is tremendous heritage tourism potential attached to this building, as it is one of the components of the Christian precinct of George Town stretching from the Protestant Cemetery in Northam Road to the original site of the Church of the Assumption on Church Street.
With the support of the Penang Heritage Trust, I am presently working to document all the sites in this area an effort to create a Christian Heritage Enclave and Christian Heritage Trail to include the following sites which are all close together:
- Argus Lane
- Church of the Assumption
- Convent Light Street
- Farquhar Street
- Farquhar Street Mission House
- Northam Road
- Protestant Cemetery and tombs of early missionaries, ie. Johann Georg Bausam
- St Francis Xavier Church
- St George's Anglican Church
- Former St George's Girls School Building
- St Xavier's Institution
Mission House when I first visited it: 7 August, 2008
Mission House, as it appeared in 2008 (7 August, 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
The porch area of Mission House in 2008 (7 August, 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Staircase of Mission House in 2008 (7 August, 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Archway of Mission House in 2008 (7 August, 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Mission House today: on 23 October, 2010
Mission House as it appears in 2010 (23 October, 2010)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Workmen found in the compound of Mission House in 2010 - we are trying to ascertain who engaged them (23 October, 2010)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
The porch of Mission House in 2010 (23 October, 2010)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Upper floor of Mission House entirely removed in 2010 (23 October, 2010)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Mission House in 2010, a mere empty shell with the roof barely supported (23 October, 2010)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
  
   
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