Fort Cornwallis chapel is a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

situated inside

Fort Cornwallis , location = George Town, Penang , country = Malaysia , image = Fort Cornwallis, Penang 2023 01.jpg , coordinates = , pushpin_map = Malaysia Penang George Town central , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ge ...

in George Town, within the Malaysian state of

Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...

History

The chapel is the earliest roofed structure from the colonial period surviving in Penang, with the building's first recorded use as a Christian chapel taking place in 1799, when a marriage ceremony was conducted between Martina Rozells, widow of

Francis Light Francis Light ( – 21 October 1794) was a British sailor and explorer best known for founding the colony of Penang and its capital city of George Town in 1786. Light was the father of William Light, who founded the city of Adelaide in South A ...

, founder of the

British colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony governed by England, and then Great Britain or the United Kingdom within the English and later British Empire. There was usually a governor to represent the Crown, appointed by the British monarch on ...

of Penang, and John Timmers, a Dutch merchant. In a report written in 1805 by Sir George Leith, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Prince of Wales' Island (now Penang Island), no mention is made of the existence of the chapel; only a barracks, arsenal, magazine and stores, suggesting that the building was originally designed for military use as an ammunition store. From around 1819, church services were held at the newly consecrated St. George's church situated in nearby Farquhar Street.

Description

The square-shaped building is nestled within one of the four bastions on the south-west side and protected by the defensive walls. The main entrance includes a vestibule which leads to the main room of the building which is illuminated by two small windows in the front and back walls. The interior consists of plain white walls, and the floor is covered with red tiles.

References

{{coord, 5.42019, 100.34327, format=dms, type:landmark_region:MY, display=title Churches in Penang Churches completed in 1799 Tourist attractions in George Town, Penang