Yet another neglected heritage building near Chennai is set to get a makeover soon. The Public Works Department is preparing a proposal to restore the 131-year-old building at Victory Memorial Blind School, Poonamallee, at a cost of ₹24.20 crore.
The Building Centre and Conservation Division of the PWD has prioritised the work in this fiscal owing to the historical value and dilapidated status of the structure. Spread over 58,200 sq.ft, the red brick building has suffered damage, particularly roof and walls, due to ageing. However, the core structure is stable, said officials.
The construction of the red brick building was started in 1888 and completed in 1893. A stone tablet with inscriptions about the structure remains as a testimony to the past on the premises. Officials noted that the premises now houses a school for visually impaired students and functions under the State Commissionerate for the Differently Abled.
With the heritage structure in dire need of restoration, classes for about 110 students and nearly 20 faculty members are held in adjacent buildings on the same premises. They recalled that the single-storey heritage structure was initially occupied by the British military and the wooden rifle racks in the building provide a glimpse into the past history.
It was in 1931 that the structure was handed over to the Madras Association of Handicapped to run a school and by 1948, the Madras Province took over the institution. The school was upgraded to a higher secondary level in 1948, according to PWD records.
Officials said the heritage structure was minimally used due to its deterioration over the years. Like many other structures in and around the city, the school in Poonamallee also has Mangalore tiled roof and Madras terrace roof and exposed brick work on the outer walls. Once a government order is issued, the division would start work in two or three months to restore the building to its original form.
