View source for Murray House

{{short description|Building in Stanley, Hong Kong}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Chinese
|first=t
|t=美利樓
|s=美利楼
|ci={{IPA|yue|mēilèi lɐ̏u|}}
|p=Měilì Lóu
|pic=Murray House Stanley Hong Kong.jpg
|picsize=250px
|piccap=Murray House is now situated in [[Stanley, Hong Kong|Stanley]]}}
{{other uses}}
[[Image:Murray Building Level1 Outside View.jpg|thumb|right|The architecture of Murray House]]
[[File:Murray House-Wedding photography-1.JPG|thumb|Murray House is a popular location for [[wedding photography]]]]

'''Murray House''' is a [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]]-era building in [[Stanley, Hong Kong|Stanley]], [[Hong Kong]]. Built in the present-day [[Central business district|business district]] of [[Central, Hong Kong|Central]] in 1846 as officers' quarters of the [[Murray Barracks]],<ref name="old site">[http://www.amo.gov.hk/en/trails_central1.php?tid=7 Antiquities and Monuments Offices – Old Site of Murray House]</ref> the building was moved to the south of [[Hong Kong Island]] during the 2000s. This building has become an iconic landmark in Hong Kong. After housing the [[Hong Kong Maritime Museum]], now in Stanley, it is now home to restaurants and shops.
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== Architecture ==
Murray House was one of the [[List of the oldest buildings and structures in Hong Kong|oldest surviving public buildings]] in Hong Kong. Similar to many of its contemporaries from the early [[British Hong Kong|colonial era]], it was designed in [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] style. The heavy stone walls (with [[flat arch]]ed opening) are on the ground floor to give a sense of stability, while the lighter [[Doric order|Doric]] and [[Ionic order|Ionic]] columns are on the floors above to allow better ventilation. All floors have [[veranda]]s on all sides in response to the local [[subtropical]]/[[monsoons]] climate.

==History==
===Early history===
Murray House was built in 1846 as officers' quarters of the [[Murray Barracks]]<ref name="old site" /> during the early years of British rule. It was named after [[George Murray (British Army officer)|Sir George Murray]], the British [[Master-General of the Ordnance]] at the time. The designer and constructor were Major [[Edward Aldrich]] and Lieutenant [[Thomas Bernard Collinson]] of the [[Royal Engineers]].

===Japanese occupation===
During the 44-month [[Japanese occupation of Hong Kong]], the building was used as the command centre by the Japanese military police. It was also the execution place for some{{quantify|date=May 2017}} Chinese citizens.{{fact|date=May 2017}}

===Post-war period===
After [[World War II]], several government departments used the building as offices, including the Rating and Valuation Department, starting in 1965. The building was believed to be haunted and was exorcised twice.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Owen |first1=Bernie  |last2=Shaw |first2=Raynor |date=1 October 2007 |title= Hong Kong Landscapes: Shaping the Barren Rock|publisher=[[Hong Kong University Press]] |page= 196|isbn=9789622098473}}</ref> One of the exorcism ceremonies was held in 1963,<ref>[http://www.efootage.com/stock-footage/73137/Buddhist_Priests_Exorcise_The_Spirits/ ''Buddhist Priests Exorcise the Spirits'']. Clip ID: 73137, 1963. Archive footage of an exorcism ceremony at Murray House.</ref> the other one was held in 1974 and was televised.<ref>[http://www.britishempire.co.uk/article/ghostsofthepast.htm "Ghosts of the Past"], by Brian D. Wilson, former [[Commissioner for Transport (Hong Kong)|Commissioner for Transport]]</ref><ref>[http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/newnation19740214-1.2.27.2.aspx "Exorcising the office"], ''New Nation'', 14 February 1974, Page 4</ref> Since it was a government building, the Government granted permission for the exorcism to be performed.<ref>{{cite book|last1= Freedman|first1= Maurice|last2= Skinner|first2= George William|date= 1979|title= The Study of Chinese Society: Essays|url= https://archive.org/details/studyofchineseso0000unse/page/205|publisher= [[Stanford University Press]]|page= [https://archive.org/details/studyofchineseso0000unse/page/205 205]|isbn= 9780804709644}}</ref>

== Move to Stanley ==
[[File:Murray house high.JPG|thumb|right|Murray House and [[Blake Pier at Stanley|Blake Pier]] in Stanley.]]
In 1982, the historical landmark was dismantled to yield to the new [[Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong|Bank of China Tower]]. Over 3,000 building blocks were labelled and catalogued for future restoration.  In 1990, the [[Housing Department]] proposed the resurrection of the building in Stanley. The building was restored in 2001 and reopened in 2002.

Originally classified as a [[Heritage conservation in Hong Kong|Grade I building]], the rebuilt House was not graded, as it was considered that the relocation project had failed to meet the international standard for heritage preservation.<ref>[http://www6.cityu.edu.hk/construction_archive/major_reference_pdf.aspx?id=265 Heritage Preservation: Hong Kong and Overseas Experiences], p.16</ref>

==Hong Kong Maritime Museum==
The [[Hong Kong Maritime Museum]] was established on the ground floor of Murray House in 2005, then moved to [[Central Ferry Piers, Hong Kong|Pier 8]] in Central in February 2013.

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal |last=Aldrich |first=Edward |journal=Papers on Subjects Connected with the Duties of the Corps of Royal Engineers |volume=10 |number=6 |pages=153–155 |date=1849 |title=Description of the Mat Covering Sheds used at Hong-Kong in the erection of the Ordnance Buildings, and of the mode adopted by the Chinese in transporting and raising heavy Weights for these Buildings |url=https://www.nzsappers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/PapersVol10Opt.pdf}}
* {{cite journal |last=Hawkins |first=R S |title=Far Eastern Outpost |journal=The Royal Engineers Journal |volume=82 |issue=1 |date=March 1968 |pages=37–47 |url=https://www.nzsappers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/1968-March.pdf}}

==See also==
* [[Blake Pier at Stanley]]
* [[Heritage conservation in Hong Kong]]
* [[List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060903042704/http://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/hdw/content/document/en/aboutus/gallery/murray_bb.ram Video on its history] (large 7MB, direct download link)
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=22.218218,114.209683&spn=0.004046,0.005769&t=k&hl=en Satellite view of the site] – building at centre of image.
* Pictures of Murray House in its original location: [https://web.archive.org/web/20110721094437/http://hkclweb.hkpl.gov.hk/hkclr2/igateway?svc=bsch&stype=itr&param=title&frm=1&to=1&ss=ContentPhoto&ctrlid=2054047&lang=eng] [https://web.archive.org/web/20110721094452/http://hkclweb.hkpl.gov.hk/hkclr2/igateway?svc=bsch&stype=itr&param=title&frm=1&to=1&ss=ContentPhoto&ctrlid=750748&lang=eng] [https://web.archive.org/web/20110721094554/http://hkclweb.hkpl.gov.hk/hkclr2/igateway?svc=bsch&stype=itr&param=title&frm=1&to=1&ss=ContentPhoto&ctrlid=752113&lang=eng]
*{{cite web|url=http://www.hku.hk/hkgcsb/csn/csn46eng/csn17.htm|title=Murray House Revived|publisher=[[Civil Service Bureau]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001203133000/http://www.hku.hk/hkgcsb/csn/csn46eng/csn17.htm|archive-date=3 December 2000}}
{{Southern District, Hong Kong}}
{{Central, Hong Kong}}
{{Heritage conservation in Hong Kong |state=collapsed}}
{{coord|22.2182|114.2097|type:landmark_source:enwiki-googlemaplink|display=title}}


[[Category:1846 establishments in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Central, Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Stanley, Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:British colonial architecture in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Government buildings completed in 1846]]
[[Category:Neoclassical architecture in Hong Kong]]