The Commissioner’s House – Then and Now
The Commissioner’s House is a grand mansion built in 1704.
The Commissioner’s House is the oldest intact naval building in Great Britain. The house was built for Captain Geroge St Lo, on he site of an earlier residence built in 1640. On arrival in 1703, St Lo complained that the Chatham residence was a poor substitute for his previous lodging and successfully petitioned for a new house. The house’s most attractive internal feature is a painted ceiling depicting an assembly of the gods, taken from the Great Cabin of HMS Royal Sovereign.
Today the Commissioner’s House is still on site and is used for weddings and events. The garden behind it is open to the public to explore! Originally the garden incorporated one of Britain’s earliest Italianate water gardens. You can see the Edwardian glasshouse with a great vine, an 18th century ice house and a 17th century mulberry tree still to this day!
We found some photos from the Commissioner’s House in the past and compared them to today! Take a look below…
Main Staircase
