Preserving a heritage building

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The Marian has a blend of vintage and modern elements in a remodelled lodging house

Based on the concept of a village in the city, The Marian Boutique Lodging House retains much of its original structure and the surroundings.

WHEN Rosemarie Wong-Jabu saw the rundown Diocesan guesthouse of the Anglican Church in Kuching, she knew she had to do something about it.

The historical significance and the many memories and sentimental value the building holds for the Anglican community of Sarawak were not lost on her — nor the community’s feelings that the guesthouse was a very important heritage building to the Church, St Mary’s School, and the state.

Besides, restoring the building would create a “sustainable opportunity to help the Church help itself”.

Knowing such sentiments, she decided to make restoring and preserving the premises her mission. The result of her vision — The Marian Boutique Lodging House.

Rosemarie Wong-Jabu

According to Wong-Jabu, the director of The Marian and the person behind the project’s concept, it all began in 2012 when she accompanied her father, George Wong Kim Pau, to see the then Bishop of the Anglican Church in Sarawak and Brunei, the Rt Revd Datuk Bolly Lapok, on some matters.

During the meeting, they learned the Diocesan guesthouse was up for tender with the closing date just three days away. They had to somehow put in their bid if interested.

“We enlisted the help of a very talented old friend and architect, Jorjie, to hand-sketch our entire idea for submission.

“After handing in our tender, I remember going into the little chapel at the side of St Thomas’ Cathedral and praying if it were meant to be ours, it would be ours. Our prayers were answered,” said Wong-Jabu.

Brought up in an Anglican community with her family, Wong-Jabu said creating The Marian, aptly named after the boarders of St Mary’s School, was her way of doing something unique for the church.

“Hopefully, it will also pave the way for other churches and heritage properties to be enhanced to secure a better rental income.”

 

Wong-Jabu (fourth left) at the opening of The Marian Boutique Lodging House three years ago, officiated at by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (fourth right), who represented Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.

Boarding house history

The late Ong Ewe Hai migrated from China to Singapore in the 19th century, and, while on a visit to Kuching, decided to put down roots here.

Ong was a trader with vast business interests in Sarawak and Singapore. Like most Chinese businessmen, he believed in feng shui and made sure the family house he was going to build would have a clear frontage overlooking the Sarawak River.

So he picked one of the highest spots on the northern edge of the Bishop’s compound.

When the house was completed in 1885, it not only overlooked the street, flanked by Ong’s shophouses, but also the Sarawak River some distance in front. The street was later named Ewe Hai Street after Ong.

The house was built of belian and sun-baked bricks and home to three Ong generations.

Tan Sri Ong Kee Hui, a former federal minister, was born in the house with his brothers, uncles, aunties, cousins, and nieces.

In 1933, the house was sold to the Anglican Mission and after some refurbishment, became a boarding house for St Mary’s School. There was also the St Nicholas building beside the gate of Wayang Street for very young borders.

The boarding house was blessed by the Bishop in 1934 and officially opened by the Tuan Muda, Bertram Brooke, a day later (June 12).

“My father, then seven years old, was also a boarder for one year because his three elder sisters were there.

“Boarders came as young as six and included those too young to board at St Thomas Boys’ School — like my father and Datuk Michael Parker and his brother, who were entrusted to the care of the older girls,” Wong-Jabu shared.

The boarders were mainly girls from outside Kuching like Miri, Limbang, Brunei, and Sabah, and also the outlying schools in Betong.

Former boarders at the grand opening fondly remember St Mary’s boarding house.

She noted that St Mary’s boarding house produced a number of outstanding students, some of whom went on to become prominent members of society.

“My mother-in-law, Tan Sri Empiang Jabu, was a boarder for four years. She was a head girl — and the first female Dayak to graduate from the University of Victoria, New Zealand.”

 

Boarding house site

The original St Mary’s boarding house stood on the side of a hill overlooking Main Bazaar.

On the roof, above the porch, was a six-foot cross (retained on the property today). Directly in front of the house was a courtyard, surrounded by a low wall inset with jade-green openwork tiles.

The entrance to the courtyard was a typical Chinese-horned archway.

Former boarders would reminisce, with fondness, how they knew their former headmistress or matrons were coming just by the sound of their footsteps on the belian floor.

Chong Kim Joon, the matron (1914-1967), could recognise every boarder from their footsteps, voices, screams, and giggles!

 

Final year

The boarding house saw its final year in 1967. The Diocese of Kuching took it over the following year and the building which depended on donations for continuance was used as a Diocesan guesthouse for visiting priests and guests.

“Coincidentally, when we were clearing the site, I found a pristine banner among the rubble and while unrolling it, saw these words — Rise Up And Build. It was uncanny and I felt this was God’s message to me,” Wong-Jabu said.

The project covered three properties belonging to the Anglican Diocese of Kuching.

The first comprised two old Chinese shophouses up front, which have been become the reception counter and gift gallery.

The second was a dilapidated and abandoned warehouse, now turned into a restaurant, while the third was the building on the hill many former boarders fondly remember as St Mary’s boarding house.

“I know several former boarders who have many fond memories of this property,” she added.

The Chapel Wing Room at The Marian Boutique Lodging House.

Challenges

According to Wong-Jabu, completing the project wasn’t easy with many challenges and frustrations to overcome.

The project started with the warehouse site known as the Manger Square, a derelict building, which some say was used as a granary or an opium den.

The roof and the structure had collapsed with only the belian posts and walls still standing and retained.

“You can see around you the difference between the old exposed brick walls and the new cement additions. We rebuilt the mezzanine over its existing footprint and kept the original main doors and windows,” she said.

The two shophouses up front were in slightly better condition, requiring just a roof change and structural reinforcement.

“We tried to keep as much of the original as we could without compromising on the integrity of the original features,” Wong-Jabu added.

“Unfortunately, there were some parts we could not salvage like the old termite-infested chapel. The walls of the two side wings of the main house were also tearing away from the structure.

“Rotten floorboards, ceiling trusses, and broken window panes had to be individually replaced and missing handrails and architraves hand-carved. The original dark timber and architectural features were kept.”

She revealed the access road to the project site was very limited due to the hilly terrain, giving rise to problems of getting excavators, piling machines, concrete mixers to the site — and many things had to be done manually.

“Getting our contractors to understand that every piece they took apart had to be salvaged and reused was especially hard. They felt this challenged the norms of their way of working, especially with each of our 40 rooms being different in size and configuration.

“I wanted style and individuality for this project — to keep the warmth of the old timber and give back every part of what we took apart. More importantly, I wanted to give these buildings a new lease on life.”

This former warehouse was used as a godown for storing grain.

For safety, fire stairs were built within the building, taking up the space of two rooms. A substation was also built to ensure adequate electricity supply.

“It took us over five years to complete the renovations to all three sections of the entire property,” Wong-Jabu said.

When the project was completed, the old guesthouse was transformed into a classy and quaint hotel atop a hill overlooking vibrant Kuching city, only a few minutes’ walk to the Kuching Waterfront, Main Bazaar, and the old Chinatown (now Carpenter Street).

One could take a stroll down memory lane and experience colonial Kuching in this labour of love — a three-storey mansion built in 1885 and given a new existent purpose three years earlier.

This banner was found among the rubble.

For Wong-Jabu, it was an innate interest in preservation that became a life mission.

The 40-room Marian is nestled in lush gardens with a swimming pool and free Wi-Fi.

The rooms are named after former matrons and a headmistress — Betty Johnson, Thelma Cook, Mary and Caroline Sharp, and the McDougalls, founders of the Anglican Church and schools in Borneo.

The facilities, style, décor, and ambience are in essence a heritage hotel and a warehouse dining hall, making up two landmarks and a tourist attraction for Kuching.

Wong-Jabu said the main guests have been families, independent travellers, private tour groups, and business travellers.

“We also have former boarders and their families coming — even checking in — to reminisce about the good old days.”

Meanwhile, Bolly said The Marian was constructed to prevent the old building from decaying and being demolished.

“Thank God, Rosemarie had the idea to restore the building and offered to retain as much of the original structure and surrounding as possible.

“The concept is a village within the city to give guests a feel of village life.

“A village steeped in history in the heart of Kuching is certainly one of the city’s attractions. I think the project was the most appealing which the Church eventually accepted.”

He said the old boarding house was for students from upstream areas who came to study in Kuching but had no place to stay, adding that it was also a home for boys from similar areas needing a place to stay temporarily or for student priests, teachers and missionaries on transfer or studying in the Theology School.

“As I look with pride on the establishment of the Marian Boutique Lodging House, I will always remember the building as part of the Anglican community.

“At least, it’s still there — preserved, not demolished — and I hope one day, it will be gazetted as a historical building,” Bolly noted.

The former warehouse is now a restaurant and bar.

Wong-Jabu hoped they had set an example to show old heritage properties should be preserved and repurposed, not demolished for commercial gain.

“Sarawak is rich in history, especially with that history of the Brookes. We should leverage on that story and our diverse cultures as a unique tourism selling point.”

 

St Mary’s School boarders with their headmistress.

The opening

Old Marians and former boarders turned up for the opening of the Marian to show their love for their former boarding house.

Evelyn Wong remembered enjoying the durian season near the old chapel. When nobody was playing the piano, she would sneak in to play with the chapel door ajar, waiting for durian to drop and she would run out to get it.

The two old Chinese shophouses up front are now a reception counter and gift gallery.

Elizabeth Wong Moi recollected, “On Fridays, we would congregate in the dining room and matron would ask each of us to show her our brush or broom. We would polish the chapel floor until we could see our reflections. We had great fun pushing the coconut husk up and down the floor.”

Diana Wong said, “This was our routine — we went to the chapel on Tuesday at 6.30am, Friday evening prayers, Saturday evening prayers, and Sunday morning church service.

“I enjoyed playing the march and hymns on these occasions. Every Saturday, we got our pocket money from the matron, and I would take my two younger sisters, Elizabeth and Cynthia, to Carpenter Street to buy our provisions like biscuits.”