Located on one of the city’s many rolling hills, Barton Hill carries the legacy of Walthew Clarence Barton, the first chief engineer of Travancore. The Hill was where his bungalow was; a grand structure built in the 1860s with wooden floors and ceilings, and offering a view of the Shankhumukham beach.
Today, the area houses the Government Engineering College and the Government Law College, institutions that continue the spirit of learning and innovation that the British engineer embodied.
“Barton was PWD’s first chief engineer. There was a European tradition where most high-ranking officials used to live on top of the hills,” says historian M G Sasibhooshan.
“He was the chief engineer who constructed the Kerala Secretariat, which was then called Huzoor/Hajoor Kacheri. Before the Secretariat, that place had the bungalow of Lieutenant Horsley. With the establishment of the Secretariat, Travancore, which was primarily a pilgrim city, transformed into an administrative capital. The trio of Ayilyam Thirunal, Madhava Rao, and Clarence Barton are the makers of modern Travancore.”
The Secretariat building, which remains the administrative nerve centre of Kerala, was conceptualised and designed by Barton. The foundation stone was laid by Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal in 1865, and the construction was completed in 1869. Incorporating elements of Roman and Dutch architecture, the original structure housed the Travancore Royal Durbar Hall, where the King would meet his council of ministers every month.
Barton’s other contributions to Travancore’s infrastructure were remarkable. His designs led to the construction of Arts College, University College, the Mental Hospital, and the city’s old drainage system, as well as several structures in Kollam.
The famous suspension bridge across the Kallada river at Punalur, initiated under Barton in 1871, was later completed by engineer Albert Henry in 1872 and opened to traffic in 1879.
However, Barton’s tenure was not free from controversy. His preference for Gothic-style architecture, a trend popular in Britain at the time, was met with criticism. “Gothic revivalism was characterised by long pillars, tapering roofs, a clock tower, and central Durbar halls,” explains Sasibhooshan.
“There was a constant debate between the proponents of Travancore’s vernacular architecture and Barton’s Gothic style. Eventually, he was replaced in the designing of the Napier Museum by Robert Chisholm, who attempted to incorporate Venetian windows and elements from Padmanabhapuram Palace into the museum’s architecture.”
Barton was PWD’s first chief engineer. He helmed projects such as the Kerala Secretariat. With its establishment, Travancore, which was primarily a pilgrim city, transformed into an administrative capital
M G Sasibhooshan, historian
The topography of Barton Hill also holds historical significance. The area surrounding it, known as ‘Gundukaadu,’ has an intriguing past. “The name Gundukaadu comes from the tradition of cracking bombs called ‘gundu’ every hour to mark the time,” says Sasibhooshan, adding to the rich historical narrative of the place. It is also neighboured by ‘Kunnukuzhi’, which is aptly named as it is wedged between MG Road Hill and Barton Hill.
Commemorating Barton’s legacy, historian Vellanad Ramachandran pointed out, “It is also a divine providence that at present, the place houses an engineering college, where the first PWD engineer of Travancore stayed and did many things for modern Travancore,” he says.
Barton Hill is an important part of Thiruvananthapuram’s landscape. The hill remains deeply intertwined with the history of Travancore and the vision of a man who helped shape its modern identity.