Trips

Office Matters

Market Square

The original township centred around Yap Ah Loy's large market and gambling sheds, close to the river confluence where the miners first landed. His house, a large wooden structure, was located at the Lebuh Pasar Besar end of the Square. In 1882, citing health reasons and claiming that the site was state land, Frank Swettenham wanted Yap Ah Loy's market and gambling sheds demolished. As a compromise, Yap Ah Loy removed his gambling sheds and was allowed to rebuild his market provided it had brick piers and a galvanized iron roof. However, he was only granted the land title for life and, upon his death in 1885, the Government took over and relocated the market. The site vacated by the original market became known as Old Market Square.

In 1907, AB Hubback, Government Architect, pre-sented to the Sanitary Board design guidelines for shophouses to be erected in the Square. This has resulted in a gracious symmetry for the Square as a whole. The three-storey shophouses are ornate examples of ornate Neo-classical designs, as evidenced by the decorative plaster garlands, roof-top gables and balustrades.

Later, two classic Art Deco structures, the Mayban Finance Berhad building and the Clock Tower, were built. The Tower was erected in 1937 to commemorate the coronation of King George VI. The sunburst motif, a common Art Deco de-sign, is featured at the base.