The Metcalfe House in Delhi
The Metcalfe House Delhi is the name that was used for not one but two mansions in Delhi. These are buildings that are noted for being very impressive residential houses. Much of the area of the first house appears to be in ruins while the second house area is still relatively recognisable in a few spots.
The history says that the first Metcalfe House Delhi was built as a home for Sir Thomas Metcalfe in 1835. Metcalfe was a leader of the East India Company. He had lived in his house until he died in 1853. He had died in the house but the reason as to why he died is not fully understood.
The building was originally made to features an English style to it. This was a style that was used around Metcalfe's home country. There had been a fire in the house along with a substantial amount of damage from the uprising of 1857. These points caused the house to become damaged substantially. This prompted the first house to be rebuilt in 1913.
This new version of the first Metcalfe House is still visible in the Civil Lanes area of Delhi near the Kashmiri Gate Metro Rail stop. This house is not accessible on the inside though. People are only allowed to see it from the outside. It is currently being used as the home to India's defence operations.
The second Metcalfe House Delhi can be easily found by people who visit India. This second house is in the southern part of Delhi around the Mehrauli Complex. It is located not too far from the Qutub Minar. In fact, the property offers people some of the best views of the Qutub Minar from its area. This is a house that was built in the sixteenth century. However, it was taken in as a new mansion for residential use.
This building was originally used as the tomb of Muhammed Quli Khan in the sixteenth century. However, it was taken in by Sir Theophilus Metcalfe, the son and heir of Sir Thomas Metcalfe. He had then redesigned the area to make it into a beautiful English country house.
The building has some notable accents to it. There is a large dome at the top of the area but the key was that some special English accents were added to it. These included a series of columns and arches to help create a more fashionable design around the Metcalfe House Delhi. A variety of gardens were placed around the area to make it look a little more appealing.
One key point about this second mansion is that it features a series of small bodies of water. These bodies are used to help gather water for use around the mansion. This included the use of a large tank that was built with the Lodi dynasty was in charge of the area. However, the water tank was reconfigured by Metcalfe. This was to make it a more suitable place for swimming and other kinds of water sports.
The mansion has deteriorated over the years to where many of the influences of the building have become greatly mixed up. This part of the mansion is available for people to see when visiting Delhi. It is open with a large series of artifacts that have been found over the years. These include a few artifacts from some Hindu temples that the mansion might have been built over.
The Metcalfe House mansion buildings are two great places to see. These Delhi buildings are unique in their designs and have their own different histories attached to them. The first building will not be accessible but people can take a look at the ruins of the second one when in Delhi.