Shillong became the Headquarters of the Government of the Province in 1874 when the Chief Commissionership was created and Assam was separated from Bengal. The first Chief Commissioner was Colonel R.H.Keatings, C.S V.C., I.C.S., who held office from 7th February 1874 to 21st June 1878. Ten years earlier, i.e. in 1864, the present Shillong had been chosen as a Sanatorium in place of Cherrapunji, so that there must have been a considerable nucleus of residents when the headquarters of the Province was set up there. The correct name of the locality was Yeddo, Yeoduh, Yewdoo or Yendoe to use the various spellings of official correspondence, but it was given the name of Shillong which properly belong to the “Peak” locality. Gait in his “History of Assam” gives as the reason the fact that there is a Yeddo in Japan, but quotes no authority for this. Captain Kelsall, whose name survives in “Kelsall Road” and “Kelsall Lodge”, was the Executive Engineer, who laid out the new station and Major H.S.Bivar was Deputy Commissioner during the period of construction. The official recommendation to transfer the station from Cherrapunji to Shillong was made in a letter No.32, dated 27th May 1862, from Brigadier General G.D.Showers, CB, Commissioner of the Cossiah and Jyntiah Hills.

There are no records of the buildings before the earthquake of 1897. There is, however, extant a photograph which shows the front of the old house as it was before it was destroyed in 1897. It must have been a building without any architectural qualities and Mr Arundell, who designed the new house, describes it as a “building which had been added to from time to time upon no preconceived plan and was in many ways inconveniently and wastefully arranged”. It was a stone building like most of the other houses in Shillong at that time and had a corrugated iron roof. The accommodation was probably very meagre judging from the sketch plan for the new house which was drawn up after the earthquake and which followed pretty closely the old ground plan. That sketch plan provided for one large central Reception Room, a Drawing Room, a Sitting Room, a Dining Room and a Breakfast Room, while there were only three bed-rooms (2 described as “principal” bed-rooms and one as a Guest's bed-room). There was also a large office room on the south-side and a Ball-room on the north-side, as now.

The situation was no doubt the same as it is now, i.e., in the south-east corner or the British area of Shillong. The present area covered by Government House and its grounds amounts to 34 acres. Up to June 11th 1876 when the Shillong Church was first used, church services were held at Government House. Thus there is an entry in the Shillong Church Record book, dated 12th April 1876 which says that on Easter Day the Residency Hall was used for church services as usual. (Does this mean the main central room called at various times the “Reception Room”, “Billiard Room” and “Library” or the Ball Room?). It is interesting to add that Colonel Keatinge, who was Chief Commissioner from 1874 to 1878, is referred to in the same book as the “virtual founder and steady supporter of the Church”.

Then came the great earthquake of June 12, 1897, when Government House and practically every other building in Shillong was laid flat. Probably the best accounts about this disaster are to be found in the official report to the Government or India No.5409-G., dated the 14th August 1897, and especially the report from the Deputy Commissioner which is enclosed, No.1736, dated the 29th July 1897. The then Deputy Commissioner was Mr J.C.Arbuthnott, I.C.S. There is also a chapter devote to the subject in late Sir Henry Cotton's book “Indian and Home Memories”, published in 1911. Sir Henry Cotton was the Chief Commissioner at the time and had an extremely narrow escape from death as he and Lady Cotton were in the porch just entering their trap for their evening drive as the house collapsed. The pony bolted with the towards the main gate, while the house fell in ruins behind them. The official report states that the shock could not have lasted for less than 3 minutes though the period of extreme intensity was probably limited to about 30 seconds, while the fall of Government House, the largest building in Shillong, must have been completed 5 seconds. Shocks went on perpetually at the rate of about 200 a day for the first two or three days after the 12th of June and the miseries of the houseless inhabitants were intensified by 48 hours’ continuous rain. Deaths in Shillong numbered 29, including two Europeans Mr R.B.MoCabe, I.C.S., then Inspector-General of Police and Mr Rossenrode, a Survey Department pensioner, who were killed by their houses falling on them. The total number of deaths in the province were estimated at 1542.

Steps toward rebuilding were early taken up. Mr Arbuthnott, the Deputy Commissioner, strongly recommended that the opportunity should be taken to erect the new station “on the extensive plateau which commence at the 5th mile on the Cherrapunji road”, 1,000 feet above the old site. But this was not, no doubt for good reasons, accepted, and the work of reconstructions proceeded on the old site. For Government House the sketch plan drawn up by Mr Arundell, M.S.A., Executive Engineer, Assam Bengal Railway, was approved. This is dated 31.t May 1898. Mr Arundell worked on and improved a plan drawn up by the Public Works Department based or the plan of the old house, and, a. he says 1n on one of his letters, “the general disposition of the rooms and the dimensions of the principal ones is identical ones in both plans”. Taking the building from North to South it provided for

1. A bathroom measuring 30'x52' flank by cloak-rooms on the West and East sides, a band-gallery, at the North End, and a “Refreshment Room” with gallery over it on the East.
2. Next comes the Guests' bedroom and dressing room with 2 bathrooms, apparently the only accommodation for Guests. This was (and still is) an inside, ill-ventilated room. It is now used as a small dining room.
3. To the West of this bedroom, on the other side of the corridor was a Breakfast Room (converted in 190 into the study).
4. Next came the dining room 20' x45 " as it is now.
5. Then, in line with the Eastern halt of the dining room, we have a dressing room, (ii) a principal bedroom, (iii) another dressing room. There was an octagonal bathroom of generous dimensions protruding into the Eastern end of (i) and (ii), but with access only from (i) the dressing room, which looks as if it was intended that the lady as well as her husband should enjoy a dressing room.
6. Continuing southwards in the same line, we come to the office, a fine room 30'x30', which in 1902 became the “principal” bedroom.
7. Adjoining to the western wall of the second dressing room and the office was the boudoir as it is now.
8. Next and west of the boudoir was the “Sitting Room” which was thrown into the drawing room by Mr J.B. (later Sir Bampfylde) Fuller in 1902.
9. Next the Sitting Room in the south-west corner of the house was the Drawing Room, much smaller than it is at present.
10. Then between the sitting Room and the Dining Room was the big central “Reception Room” measuring 22'6”x40'6”, known subsequently and variously at the Billiard Room and the Library.
11. Running from north to South along the front of the Dining Room and the Reception Room was the Hall.
12. The main entrance was, as it is now, on the west. The porch was surmounted by a sort of spire tiled like the rest of the house in red painted teak wood with white rails round the base of the spire.
    

Similar extinguisher-like spires but of larger dimensions still surmount the bays in the study and the drawing room, a common architectural feature in Shillong houses.

The new building instead of being of masonry was of the “earthquake-proof” pattern composed of timber frames with “ekra” covered with plaster in between, while the roof was made of teak shingles, an improvement on the old corrugated iron roof.

This building was estimated to cost Rs.1,53,425 but the cost was subsequently raised to Rs.1,87,713. The house was rebuilt between 1899 and 1903.

It is interesting to observe that before the new building was constructed, the Chief Commissioner had a temporary Ballroom put up at a cost of Rs.7,657/- which was to be completed so as to enable him to give a Ball on 25th May 1897 “The Queen Empress' Birthday”. This indicate that some sort of a temporary Government House must have been run up and taken into use between the date of the earthquake and the completion of the new building.

The new house was begun and the main part of the work must have pretty well been completed in Sir Henry Cotton's time as he finally vacated office on 28th April 1902. The work was, of course, carried out by the Public Works Department, Messrs. W.H.Nightingale and G.J.Perra being the Chief Engineers in that period.

The house was still far from complete when Mr Fuller (later Sir Bampfylde Fuller) took office in 1902, as it shown by a note which he recorded 6 months later to the effect that Government House “must be completed without delay by the 28th February next.” As he had acted for Sir Henry Cotton for 3 months in 1900, he was probably acquainted with the plans and had forms his own views as to what was appropriate, for he lost in time in putting them into execution. The day after the office he issued instructions countermanding the order of any stained glass or Anaglyptic decoration (the late was intended for the Drawing Room). At the same time he ordered the conversion of the breakfast room (No.(3) in paragraph 3 above) into the Chief Commissioner's office which it has remained ever since: made a Billiard Room of the Reception Rooms: threw the Sitting Room into the Drawing Room: converted the old office into the Chief Commissioner’s Bedroom: and converted the Chief Commissioner's old Bedroom into a Guest's Room. There is a reference to carved fire-places in the Billiard Room and Drawing Room and the Multan tiles of the former. The former with its tiles still exists, a thing of little beauty, but the carved fire-place in the Drawing Room was either never installed or else was removed. One small result of the last re-arrangement was that the old large octagonal Bathroom attached to the Principal Bedroom (No.(5) (ii) in paragraph 3 above) was divided in two (as it now is) to serve the Guests' Bed and Dressing Room.

Mr Fuller’s orders a1so were that the Drawing room was to be papered with yellow damask paper “like Simla Viceregal Lodge”.

The new house therefore was a considerable improvement on the old. It was provided with more bedroom accommodation, a bigger drawing room and a billiard table, and was in general, better arranged.

In 1905-06 there was heavy expenditure consequence on Shillong becoming the Summer Capital of the newly formed province of Eastern Bengal and Assam and some Rs.40,000/- had to be spent mainly on enlarging existing and constructing new staff quarters. Sir Bampfylde Fuller was the first Lieutenant-Governor of Eastern Bengal and Assam and held office from 16th October 1905 until he resigned on 20th August 1906.

In 1907 heavy expenditure was incurred on changing decayed timbers throughout the building. Not many months after Sir Lancelot Hare joined and only about 4 years after the completion of the building it was found that for a variety of causes the timber was in an advanced State of decay and an estimate of some Rs.68,000 was sanctioned for expenditure on this work by the Government of India, not without comment on the injudicious use of so much woodwork or an inferior quality in the original building.

In 1912, during the time of Sir Archdale Earle extensive alterations were made to the Ball Room. It was lengthened by 11 feet, from 52' to 63', a room added over the porch, the Dressing and Cloak Rooms extended and improved. The cost of this came to rather more than Rs.14,000/-

In 1914-15 an electric installation was put in at a cost of Rs.46,621/-. There was no public electric installation in those days, and the Government House had its generating plant (which still exists, though it has not been in use since Government House now gets its current from the Hydro Electric Company). The fittings gave a great deal of trouble. Sir Archdale Earle, writing on 17th December 1914, referred to those which had been selected during his absence on leave, as so extraordinarily vulgar that it was impossible to accept them. So they were scrapped and the Government of India had to be approached for sanction to increased expenditure on this account. The correspondence on this subject throws an interesting sidelight on conditions in Shillong, for in urging the necessity of funds being sanctioned, it was stated in a letter dated the 12th January 1916 to the Government of India that what is called the Ball-room is principally used for meetings of the Legislative Council or Assam and Select Committee thereof.

The Council of those days was, of course, a small body, consisting of only 24 members, 11 elected and 13 nominated. The same room is also used for Durbar purposes. There being no town hall of any kind in Shillon, the room is also lent for many public function such as lectures on First Aid, Nursing etc. etc. It is true that there is a project which has been sanctioned by the Government of India for additions to Government House so as to provide separate suitable accommodation for the Legislative Council. In view of the war, however, this project has had to be abandoned, and it will probably be many years before it can be taken up again. Meantime, the room, which is called the ballroom, has to be used for a multiplicity of public purposes. This was of accommodation, especially since the inauguration of the Legislative Council in Assam, had led before this to plans being drawn up for considerable additions to Government House in order to accommodate the Council. These proposal were forwarded to the Government of India March 1914 and were accepted by the Government of India but were never put into execution. The main part of the scheme was to construct along the east side of the Ball Room a hall of the same size as the Ball Room divided by moveable partitions into Waiting, Writing and Reading rooms for members. The Ball Room itself was intended to be used as before for the actual meetings. The opportunity was taken in connection with this scheme to draw up proposals for the addition of three extra bedrooms, to makeup for what was then described as the "almost entire lack of accommodation for guests", a lack of accommodation which persist for many years. As far as the Legislature is concerned, the difficulty disappeared in 1923, when, on the 1st March, the then Legislative Council occupied the building which now houses the Assam Legislative Assembly This building was planned in Sir William Marris’ time and he accepts responsibi1ity for the octagon-shaped library which was suggested to him by a visit to Ottawa.

Sir William Marris (1921-1922) had the Hall Billiard Room and the Dining Room panelled in 3-ply wood; and had the rather clumsy wooden arches in the Hall replaced by others of a lighter design.

In 1923 (Sir John Kerr) a hot water system was installed. In 1930-31 (Sir Laurie Hammond) a modern water-carried sanitation system was installed.

The history of the original guests’ bedroom and dressing room in a little difficult to follow, but it seems that one of the bathrooms had been done away with for some reason by 1923, and by 1927 the bedroom and the dressing room bad been renamed respectively as “library or breakfast room and godown”. “The Library or breakfast room”, however, was apparently soon converted into a room for the use of the Governor’s Stenographer and was thus used until 1932 when he was relegate to the Old Dressing Room and the 'library or breakfast room' became, as it is now, a dining room for small parties.

During the period of office or Sir Michael Keane (1932-37) a great improvement was carried out in the surfacing of the whole of the carriage drives within the grounds which put an end to what must have been a great nuisance from dusts in the high winds of the ear) part of the year. It was in Sir Michael Keane's time that the portion of the carriage drive which went round by the south of the house and emerged at the garages was turfed over an improvement which must have added greatly to the amenities of the house. A second important work which the same Governor's had executed was the construction of a new Billiard Room alongside the eastern wall of the Ball Room. With the removal of the billiard table from the main reception room, the latter became much more spacious and suitable for the assembly. He also had his own office room panelled throughout. In 1936 a wall was built along the Camels Back road running westwards from the side entrance, in place of the old open fencing.

Some important additions and alterations were made in 1937 when Sir Robert Reid took office. In the first place the old porch with its curious pagoda-like superstructure was found to be in a rotten condition and in any case had to be dismantled. So the opportunity was taken to design a new entrance porch some 18 feet longer than the old one with a straight roof and no superstructure. Secondly, two new bedrooms were added running out from the west side of the Ball Room, and at the same time the open verandah with tiles and stone steps on this side was closed in, the tiles and stone steps replaced by timber, and a convenient alcove constructed for the use of the band on dance nights. This did away with what used to be the inconvenient expedient of putting up a temporary canvas shelter for the band and for purposes of sitting out, always damp and dark in the climate of Sh1llong. The building of these two new bedrooms entailed taking the carriage drive some feet outwards and the removal or the Summer House rather further down the bank. A valuable addition to the accommodation which accompanied the construction of the new porch was a Waiting Room on the left of the entrance, an inconvenience which it is strange had been endured so long. Lastly, a cook house was added to the Guard-room at the main gate. Previous to that the sepoys' food had been cooked at their quarters, the best part of a quarter of a mile away. In 1938 a small Sitting Room was added to the bedroom at the northern end of the east side of the Ball Room and the Bedroom just behind the latter was improved and enlarged by the throwing out of a bay-window.
In 1939, a further improvement was made at the Guard Room in the shape of a sanitary unit, there having previously been no such convenience there.

In the same year useful improvements ware made. A Twin staircase was constructed at the North end of the Ball room leading up to the gallery and porch room. This enable the unsightly outside staircase in the North Porch to be done away with, improved the porch room as a room, and greatly improved the appearance of the Ball Room. Thirdly, the principal bed and dressing room Nos.1 and 1.A were greatly improved. The ceiling of the bed-room was covered with 3-ply hollock sheets from Margherita and a new and better fireplace in local, pink stone was installed. The Dressing Room which hitherto derived its light from windows looking on to the kitchen and pantry was extended so as to take in its old bathroom, and bay added, and the windows at the side closed up. The bedroom, bathroom was attached to the dressing room and the bedroom provided with a new bathroom. A new and better fireplace was also placed in the dressing room.

As regards the garden, it seems that Mr. Fuller paid particular attention to this during the post-earthquake period and gave personal instructions as to what shrubs and so on were to be planted, and where.

It was Lady Kerr who, finding no vegetable garden here when she arrived started one in the piece of land the other side of the Camel's Back Road where it now is. In Sir John Kerr's time also (1922-27) the small green house was built, and some new servants' quarters.

It was Sir William Marris who had a vista cut at the North-east corner of the house so as to give a View down the valley: and who had the granite sun-dial erected on the upper lawn with its inscription:

"Nulli optabilis dabitur mora
Irrevocabilis labitur hora
Ne sit (sic) inutilis semper labora
Neve sis futilis vigila ora".

The pictures belonging to the house call for little comment. In the Ball Room there are the usual portraits of their late Majesties King Edward and Queen Alexandra, of King George V and Queen Mary; and one of Sir Bampfylde Fuller painted by and presented to him as the first Lieutenant-Governor of Eastern Bengal and Assam by “Comrades of the Assam commission”. It bears, curiously no date either of Sir Bampfylde Fuller's tenure of office or of the presentation.

In the Lounge and the small Dining Room are 10 sketches by Miss Eirene O'Connor of types of Khasis, Mikirs and Syntengs including a large one of a Syiem of Khyriem. In the small Dining Room is a sketch in crayon of a Mishmi by Mrs Clark of Kurseong.

The Lounge, the passage to the Ball Room and the Ball Room itself contain a large number of Naga, Manipuri, Abor, Tibetan and other trophies. One of the stands of spears in the Ball Room has a plate indicating that they were “presented to Government House, Shillong, by Brigadier-General C.E.Macquoid, D.S.O., and officers engaged in Kuki Punitive Measures", but the date has been omitted. The Kuki rebellion took place in 1918-1919.

Over the fireplace in the Dining Room is a rhinoceros head inscribed “MELAPUKRI 1906”. This date probably falls within Sir Bampfylde Fuller's term of office.

The Dining Room also provides room for two chobs (ashashota) used at Durbars. These are believed to have been purchased one in Sir Charles Elliotts' time (1881-85) and one in Sir William Ward’s time (1885-7 and 1891-6). They were used at Dacca during the when that city was the capital of the Province of the Eastern Bengal and Assam (1906-12) and had to be recovered from Dacca when, in 1913, after the Re-partition, Sir. Archdale Earle wished to bold an investiture at Guwahati.

In the porch at the head of the step are two small brass cannon mounted on wooden carriages. The inscriptions are as follows:

In November 1940 the Syiem Khyriem presented a cannon made of bronze or same such metal with an inscription in Persian as follows:Badshah Sher Shah Adil/Badshah Adil Sultan Sher Shah Adil Dar tariku to fand jahal hashta Sayyad Ahmed Romi sher Shah Shah Adil [ "This caunou was kade in 838 Hijra" 9835 +622-1460 A.D.)]On the month of the cannon there ia a prayer fo the Badshah's reign

and also the following words in Assamese:

He had intended to present a similar gun which was found at Langkyrdem in khyriem State, miles from Shillong on the Sylhet Road, but when the Government house lorry was sent to fetch it, it was found that some lunatic had carried it away. So the Syiem kindly presented a gun which had been at his own house at Nongkrem for a long time. It probably dates from

On the sale of the Sonamukhi in 1939 all moveable and serviceable article of furniture on her were removed to Government House, Shillong. These included a time piece which is now in the Hall at Government House facing the entrance, a bell which is at the Guard Room at the main gate: a considerable amount of table gladd, crockery and cutlery and a large number of chairs of various sorts: and 4 long baths which are now at the Peak Cottage. She was sold to some Marwari, but soon found her way back to her old haunt, the Hooghly to be used as a flat at the Baby Budge landing place for Imperial Airways Flying Boats.

After the earthquake of 1897 rebuilding operations commenced and the houses was reconstructed between 1899 and 1903. The first Chief Commissioner to occupy it, was Mr. J.B. Fuller (later Sir Bampfylde Fuller) who had succeeded Sir Henry Cotton 1n 1902. Immediately after the earthquake temporary quarters were constructed for the Chief Commissioner out of the ruins of Government House by Mr. F.Hodgkins who was then probably acting as Executive Engineer. They are shown on an old plan dated the 27th October 1898 as a “Guest Chamber” and “Temporary, Dining Room and Ball Room” and were situated on the upper lawn opposite the present M.S.G.’s quarter. While they were under construction the Chief Commissioner and his household lived in tents.

In October 1903 when the new building had been complete Mr Fuller ordered that the temporary buildings referred to above should be re-erected at a place in the neighborhood of the Peak which he had selected as the site for an annexe to Government House, and for which he had arrange to take a lease in perpetuity from Ron Sing the Syiem of Mylliem. The land measured 3,298 acres Mr. Fuller noted on the subject in the following terms in P.W.Dept. File No.162 of 1903:-

I should like the building shifted to the site which I have chosen near the Peak, and maintained there as an annexe to Government House. Chief Engineer has inspected this site and has approved of it. It is an exceedingly good one, including some primeval oak forest and, while sheltered from the west wind, it commands a striking prospect in the direction of both the Himalayas and the Kyllang Rock. The land here possess a semi-sacred character and I consider it desirable to show great liberality in negotiating for its transfer, so as to make it clear that no advantage is being take of my position as Chief Commissioner to over-ride the scruples of the people. The land will be taken up on perpetual lease – not purchased – and I have agreed to pay 120/- per annum for the whole of the hill on which the house will stand. This will be an area of between 3 and 4 acres. The Syiem of Mylliem and his Myntris had accepted these terms willingly. The D.C. should be as to arrange for the execution of the lease".

The lease was dated the 12th November 1903 and provided for an annual rent of 120/- payable from the 1st January 1904 (see letter No.99 dated 12th January 1904 from Major P.R.T.Gurdon, Deputy Commissioner, K. & J. Hills, in file No.14 of 1904). It was subsequently agreed that the Syiem would undertake to receive back the land when no longer required by Government. This site the present Peak Cottage was constructed in 1904. The first estimate was for Rs.5,971/-and there were supplementary estimates for
Rs.1,412/-, Rs.63/-, Rs.151/-, making a total of Rs.7,597/-. The materials of the
"Guest Chamber" only were uti1ised to build the “Chateau”. Those of the Dinning Room the Ball Room were use to rebuild Pine Mount School. During the co of constructions, Mr. Fuller was constrained to express in March 1904 his indignation at the felling of a numb of pine trees on the site contrary to his intensions, “deplorable act of folly which”, he considered, had “nullified in a great measure the natural advantages to influenced him in the selection of the site”. The Executive Engineer, Mr. W.E.Knight, was further informed that the Chief Commissioner had been force to the conclusion that he did "not sufficient1y appreciate that it is desirable that the P.W.D. should aim at the attractive as well as the useful...” However, fresh trees were planted under the Chief Commissioner's personal direction and the lapse of years has rectified the unfortunate mistake of the Public Works Department in 1904.

The new residence seems to have been completed in September 1904, and Mr. Fuller decreed that it must be called the “Chateau” and not the “Peak Cottage”. It consists of a central dining room, with a sitting room in front, two bedrooms and dressing rooms on either side of the dinning room, and a small office on the North-east corner. There is a 2-room separate quarter on the west of the main building for the staff, a Guard Room, garage and the usual adjuncts. An electric power plant was installed in 1929.

Sir Michael Keane had the Guard Room and quarter built as well as an additional, and badly needed, row of servants quarters (the lower of the two). The Guard must have been very uncomfortable before in tents.