Town Hall, Fort, Bombay.--Date: 1855--Photographer: Johnson and Henderson

A photograph of the Town Hall at Bombay from the 'Vibart Collection of Views in South India' taken by an unknown photographer about 1855. The Town Hall (1820-23) was designed by Colonel Cowper of the Bombay Engineers. 'The neo-classical design is due to Colonel Thomas Cowper of the Bombay Engineers. The building is 200 feet long and 100 feet deep. The facade has three porticoes faced by Ionic columns. The plans called for a double row of columns, built out of material brought from England. Although these plans were curtailed, the final cost of the building came to about 500,000 pounds; far in excess of the initial estimates. The East India Company, took on a major part of the expense. The building was completed in 1833, after the death of Cowper'. The original Doric columns shipped from England were too large and were used in the Byculla Church instead.