FORT ST. GEORGE

Built in the middle of the 17th century by the British East India Company, this bastion is named after Saint George, the patron saint of England. The mast that tops it is still the highest in the country. The fort currently houses the Secretariat and the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. Its exterior architecture does not resemble a military defense building. It is said to be the oldest British building in India and was originally used as a trade and exchange centre. The color white was chosen to pay homage to Madras, which was then called "the white city". The part of the fort open to the public is divided into two sections.

St. Mary's Church was erected in 1680 and is the oldest Anglican church in India. The tombs in the courtyard are the oldest British headstones in the country. The pride of the British occupiers, they nicknamed their church "the Westminster Abbey of the East".

The Fort Museum displays rare collections from the British period and memorabilia from the French East India Company. The building was constructed in 1795 to house the Bank of Madras. The statue in front of the museum represents Lord Cornwall with Tipu Sultan. The banquet hall was added in 1802 and now features portraits of the governors of Fort St. George and officials of the British regime.

To the south of the fort is the war memorial, built in 1939 to commemorate the soldiers who fell in the First World War.