189-year-old building waits for second life

In the heart of Broadway, in Parry’s, a 189-year-old building stands oblivious to the life around it. With walls of peeling paster and a mesh of electric wires hanging in front, the only attention the dilapidated structure gets is from its neighbours who use its window grills to support clothesline.
A closer look reveals the year 1901 and the words Centenary Hall, CMS etched on top in black stone.“CMS stands for Church Missionary Society which was founded by the Tucker Church in 1820 and named after its second missionary Reverend John Tucker,” recalls historian T K Krishnakumar. “Although it has been neglected lately, the building was active till the 1980s and was used for public gatherings, Sunday school and prayer meetings,” he adds.
But the building may be older, says Father Henry Thomas of Tucker Church who plans to renovate it next year. “The building must have come up around 1828. The church wanted a school and a seminary so this building was constructed. In 1901, a committee commemorated the centenary of CMS and renovated the building on this occasion and that’s why the engraving,” he says.
Ignored by passersby and locked for the past three decades, the building may get back its robust life with a facelift next year. “The church is planning to kickstart renovations in January and have requested the Heritage Conservation Committee to start the process,” says Father Thomas. The unique architectural style is similar to Sathyanathan Hall in Pudupet and its renovations will include plastering, replacing of woodwork and the roofing.