Curepipe – The Town Hall & Garden – 1930s

The once magnificent Town Hall of Curepipe laid its first stone at its current location on the 4th of February 1902 by governor Sir Charles Bruce. The story behind the building somehow dates since earlier than the year of its foundation and construction at Curepipe. We must somehow understand that during the late 19th Century, Curepipe wasn’t yet managed by a Municipality but a board of selected members.

On this plot of land during the years 1880/90s stood a casino which unfortunately by the end of the century was very much unmaintained and in ruin. The inhabitants of Curepipe had for one cause asked the ‘Board’ to provide a hall for celebrations as well as public gatherings, and as a matter of coincidence (or luck), one of the most beautiful residences of the island, ‘La Malmaison’ in Moka, was on sale. The ‘Board’ purchased the said structure for the sum of Rs 25,000 and it was agreed with Mr Manuel, the architect, to disassemble it at Moka and reassemble it at Curepipe on an additional plot of land purchased by the board next to the Casino.

The idea was to construct a town hall surrounded by a vast garden where the population of Curepipe could use for recreational activities. Whilst the initial access towards the town hall was through Chasteauneuf Street, the Board also thought worthy to add a second access towards Royal Street, idea which resulted in an additional purchase of land from the ‘Couvent du Bon Secours’ for this purpose. With all these new extensions in land space, the board also decided to ask the architect, Mr Manuel, to increase the area of the architecture during its reassembling process to make it bigger. The end result gave birth to the actual Town Hall, very well proportioned and which made the pride of the town of Curepipe. The building was finally inaugurated on the 23rd of December 1902 by the same governor, Sir Charles Bruce.

Curepipe – The Town Hall – round 1915