George Drumgoole Coleman, overseer of Convicts and Superintendent of Public Works, was the architect of many of Singapore's finest historical buildings. The Armenian Church, arguably his masterpiece, is perhaps the finest landmark in the early architectural development of the nation. The government granted the land on which the church stands to the Armenian community in 1834. Consecrated by Revere
nd Catchick Johannes in 1836 and dedicated to St Gregory the Illuminator, the first Patriarch of the Church in Armenia, it was the second church to be built in Singapore. Over half the construction cost of 5,000 Spanish dollars was donated by the Armenian community in Singapore, with the rest coming from Armenians in Java and India, and a small portion from European and Chinese merchants in Singapore. Considering that the Armenian community was tiny – the 1824 census counted only 16 members – its contribution to the Armenian Church was huge in proportion, a testament to the religious devotion of the Armenians. Even in 1821, two years after Sir Stamford Raffles' landing, the community held religious services and, in 1827, after funds had been collected, the first priest, the Reverend Krikor Hovhannes (Gregory John), arrived. Armenian Street is named after the church and its Chinese name is seng poh sin chu au (the back of Seng Poh's new building). Armenian Church was gazetted as a national monument on 6 July 1973.
