Gorton Castle | Shimla | Himachal Pradesh

Col. Sir S. Swinton Jacob constructed Gorton Castle in Shimla, later modified by Major H. F. Chesney. 1901-04. Built of limestone with red galvanised iron roofs and situated on Shimla’s The Mall. Jacqueline Banerjee created the photographs, annotations, and comments.

Shimla’s Gorton Castle has a long history.

In the year 1904, Gorton Castle was built. Sir Swinton Jacob, one of the top British architects of the period, created the structure. The Neo-Gothic style was used to design this castle’s architecture. Sir Swinton Jacob was a consulting engineer in Jaipur at the time. This well-known imperial Indian architect and engineer became famous for his masterwork structures that blended Islamic, Hindu, and Western traditions.” He created many significant buildings in colonial India, including Albert Hall in Jaipur, Lalgarh Palace in Bikaner, and St. Stephen’s College in Delhi. Lord Curzon entrusted Swinton Jacob to establish a Government Secretariat at their summer capital, Shimla.

Lord Curzon was a big fan of the design. The castle’s design complemented its elevated location and beautiful surroundings. The site on which the castle stands was initially donated for the construction of a hospital. Mr Gorton, an ICS, was the first owner of this location, and the castle was named Gorton Castle after him. The land was sold three times before being purchased by Sir James Walker, a banker, for Rs. 80,000. When the site for the Government Secretariat was taken, he was offered another plot of land to build a hospital. The government secured the land for its officers after much persuasion of Sir Walker.