Government House - A Brief History

The first Government House on this site was built around 1874 and destroyed in the 1924 hurricane.

In the mid-1990s, it was determined that the post-1924 building was no longer fit-for-purpose, but a spirited local campaign led to its preservation (ultimately as the Old Government House Museum), and to the construction of a new Government House in the western part of the existing garden. Earlier in the 1980s, the Governor’s Office building had been constructed on the eastern side of the garden.

Following negotiations between the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the BVI Government, a design was agreed which provided for a downstairs public area, and an upper floor for private and guest quarters.

The new Government House

Following completion the Governor’s family moved into the new Government House in November 2003.  The most notable guest to stay at the new house was HRH The Princess Royal in February 2005.  In addition to the house, the development included a simple rectangular reception hall and terrace which lies between the new and old government houses.

Old Government House Museum

The old Government House garden was developed in the 1970s by Margaret Barwick, wife of the then Governor and a noted antipodean horticulturalist whose work at Government House and the Botanic Gardens means that she is still fondly remembered.  The present Government House garden was landscaped by a BVI company (Minines) as part of the construction project.