Did you know that the present Smyrna Home, Its original buildings has a long and interesting history behind it.?
It was first named by the British and came to be called Southdowns, owing to being on the ridge which bound the Ooty basin to the Southern lands merging into the country known as the downs-from which originated the name. The founder of Ooty, Mr. John Sullivan, purchased the property covering over an area of 200 acres from the Todas for a mere sum of Rs.15011/-
Interestingly enough, when the foundations were excavated an old Roman coin of Byzantine period was discovered and supposed that it might have been buried with a native-the grave being that of a Toda or some other antecedent race. Mr.Sullivan eventually went on to commence building and constructed it in 1828 at an approximate cost of Rs.20,000/- to 25,000/-. He did not live in this new house however, but sold it to the government in 1829 for Rs.35,000/- for the house and adjoining area of 25 acres only.
The Tenants from that time
* The then Governor, Mr. Lushington was the first to reside in the house during his stays on the hills in 1831 & 1832. He soon retired and the government decided to convert it into a convalescent depot for the sick of the King’s company’s and European troops for which it was used from 1832, until 1834 when it turned out to be an expensive establishment.
* The house lay unoccupied and probably lay empty for the next 5 years (1834 to 1839)
* In 1839 december, it was purchased by Mr. Ramasamy Mudali, the jagirdar (baron) of Sivasamudram island (off the Cavery Falls) in Mysore.
* The house came into Mr. Sullivan’s possession again and on his leaving India, he sold the entire property to Mr. C H . Harrington of the civil service, who paid quit rent to the Government on 184 acres, which he enjoyed until his death.
* Southdowns was then purchased by Lord Bishop Dealtry of Madras for Rs.65,000/- and the original name southdowns gave way to Bishopdowns as the entire area is still known to day. Bishop died in 1861 and his widow retained the property and leased it to the Government for the next seven years (1861 to 1868) at a rent of Rs.300/ per month.
* In 1860, Sir Charles Trevelyan, the then Governor stayed in his house as a guest. So also another Governor Sir William Jenison in the year 1862. This house was the abode of Mr.J. W. Breeks, the first commissioner of the Nilgiris (1868–1872), when the district become an independent administrative unit, separated from Coimbatore. Colonel Angelo was one of the first Government lessees who sublet the building to Mr. Bill (said to have been a remarkably troublesome tenant!)
* In 1873, Bishop Dealtry sold the house and all the land attached to it to Mr. Allon, General store keeper, Madras Railway, for a sum of Rs.10,000/-. The house passed on to Mr.Allon’s widow after his death in 1881, from which time he began disposing off small portions of land time to time.
* Mrs. Allon remarried and her new husband Mr.E.Clarke becomes the subsequent owner after his wife’s death in 1887. After Mr.Clerk’s death the property was agin sold in small lots.
* Sir Frederic Price recorded these informations in 1908 in his book about Ootacamund., it is not definitely known of the occupants of the house for the next 50 years, but many old locals remembered this place was called as St. Patricks and then this place went into the hands of one Mr.Sattlewad, an advocate settled in Mumbai. According to the old locals and neighbours of Bishopdowns, it was famously known as the haunted house on the hill and considered a courageous feat for any one to walk across the grounds through the trees even during day time.!
However as history would have it, the place was purchased from that Mumbai advocate, with the efforts of a generous Trust in Sweden, to assist Mrs.Margit stefensson’s work among the poor in 1985, of a total area of 6.5 acres only together with the house, which came to be known as Smyrna Home.