The gracious mansion at the end of Regent Street is one of Belize City’s most important political and historical landmarks.
For over 150 years, it was the seat of colonial government and private residence for a series of Superintendents, Lieutenant Governors and Governors sent from Great Britain. The first Governor General of an independent Belize also made this grand house her residence. For most of its history, the general public was not allowed inside, and only the colonial elite were granted entrance by special invitation for official and social gatherings. That did not stop the general public from staging demonstrations and parades on the street outside of Government House, such as the Unity Brigade’s March in the 1930’s and 40’s and other such demonstrations related to the quest for independence during the Nationalist Movement.
The Government House dates back to 1815 when a Public Meeting voted to allocate the funds not to exceed 3000 pounds sterling to build a house for the new Superintendent of the colony, Colonel Arthur. The Colonel was to have the choice of location and design. Previous Superintendents of the territory had lived in a wooden house on the Belize River near the upper end of the Haulover Creek, at a spot chosen by the first Superintendent, Marcus Despard the Irishman, married to a black woman. Perhaps due to the inconvenience of having to cross the river in a dory, and a desire to be closer to Belize Town itself, Colonel Arthurs chose a spot downtown, right across from the Anglican Cathedral, St. John’s Cathedral (on today’s Regent Street).
In 1815, 1825 and 1845, kings from the Mosquito Coast were crowned with great pageantry and ceremony at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the oldest Anglican Church in Central America, with celebrations taking place at Government House after the official ceremonies. Again, in 1838, other celebrations took place on the grounds of Government House, this time to celebrate the Emancipation of Slavery in Belize. On September 21st, 1981, the Union Jack was lowered and the Belize flag was raised for the first time, again, here at Government House, ushering in the era of independence for Belize.
