The islands of the Caribbean have a very interesting history. From the Amerindians, Arawaks, Caribs and Tainos who were the earliest inhabitants, to the African slaves brought in to work the sugar fields, Scottish and Irish prisoners of war, indentured servants from India, Middle Easterners, Jews fleeing persecution in Europe, Chinese and of course the descendants of the colonizers all call this region home. With a little bit of digging, you’ll find that there’s no end to the number of interesting stories out there. With many islands colonized by the British, French, Dutch and Spanish, a lot of money was made of the backs of slaves and indentured servants. Many from the planter class built huge estates with large mansions and great houses that can be seen throughout the islands. We found a few on a recent visit to Trinidad. Located on Maraval Street in Port of Spain, in the vicinity of Queen’s Park Savannah, you’ll find seven stately mansions that are referred to as the Magnificent Seven.

1) Stollmeyer Castle.

Built in 1902 and occupied in 1904, this castle was built for Charles Fourier Stollmeyer, a member of the planter class. The style was inspired by the Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Apparently, his wife who had a more reserved character, didn’t like it, too much grandeur she thought. It was signed over to their son whose wife named it “Killarney.” During World War II, it was commandeered by US forces who referred to it as “the Castle.” Ownership has changed hands a few times during its existence and now belongs by the Trinidadian government with its care being undertaken by a Conservation Society. They’ve taken great care to refurbish it and its now rented for private and governmental functions.

2) White Hall.

This three storey mansion, the largest on the street started construction in 1904. It was being built for cocoa planter Joseph Leon Agostini. Its style is considered Moorish Mediterranean which was influenced by the family’s Southern Italian roots. It is said that when the cocoa industry collapsed and with the death of Mr. Agostini, the family could no longer afford the property. Originally called Rosenweg, the new owners renamed it White Hall for the coral stone exterior. Like its neighbour Stollmeyer Castle, White Hall was occupied by US forces as well. After the war, it was never lived in again and was eventually purchased by the government. It had also served as a public library, a Government Broadcasting System and the National Archives. It’s now the official residence of the Prime Minister.

3) The Archbishop’s Palace.

The Archbishop’s Palace is the official residence of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church of Port of Spain. It was built around the time of the other mansions on the street (1903 – 1904) for the fifth archbishop of Port of Spain. The building had undergone some renovations in the 60’s, however, some of the original elements were not maintained, like replacing an original wooden door with an aluminium sliding door. Despite this, the building still maintains its character.

4) Roomoor.

Originally called Ambard’s House for French architect Lucien Ambard, the mansion was built in 1904. In the days of opulence when money was no concern, the building materials such as marble, tiles and wrought iron were sourced from as far away as Scotland, Italy and France. As with all these properties, there were many changes of ownership. The current owners are the family of Timothy Roodal who was a very successful businessman (cinemas and oil) and politician. The property was occupied by Roodal’s granddaughter Dr. Yvonne Morgan and The Roomor name is a combination of the Roodal and Morgan family names. Currently it’s showing some signs of dilapidation and hopefully steps are being made to preserve it.

5) Mille Fleurs.

The first mayor of Port of Spain, Dr. Enrique Prada was gifted this house by his wife. She named it “Mille Fleurs” given her fondness for flowers and gardening. Built in 1904 which seems to be the golden age of mansion building in Trinidad, this French Provincial building has been fully restored to its former glory. It’s now in the hands of the National Trust. The mansion’s history shows it was sold in 1923 to a Joseph Salvatori who threw lavish parties that helped fund the French Resistance Movement. The Salvatori’s daughter who was living in France, inherited the house in 1971 and later sold it to the Matouk family whose fortune comes from their food processing business.

6) Hayes Court.

The next to last mansion on this stretch of Maraval Road is named for Thomas Hayes, an archbishop who served Trinidad from 1889 to 1904. He unfortunately died while in England and never resided in the house which was finished in 1910. This is the official residence of the Bishop of the Anglican church of Trinidad and Tobago. It was apparently gifted anonymously by two gentlemen who funded the construction.

7) Queen’s Royal College.

This building was built as a secondary school for boys and remain so today. It was never a private residence. With its clock tower and German Renaissance style, this property is considered by many as the most visually appealing of the seven. The corner stone of the main building was laid in 1902, other buildings were added in the 1930’s. The school boasts some very famous alumni which includes presidents, prime ministers, Olympic athletes, entertainers, writers, engineers, mathematicians and many others.

Even though our trip to Trinidad was a short one, we enjoyed it and saw some interesting things. We stayed at the Kapok Hotel which was within walking distance to some points of interest like the Queen’s Park Savannah, the Royal Botanic Gardens, The National Academy of Performing Arts building and of course the Magnificent Seven.