At the beginning of the 20th century,missionary organisations operating in China found that Cheung Chau was an ideal setting for holiday villas for their missionaries. There was a building flurry in 1908-10.
House 25 was a small bungalow, sturdily built, because of typhoons, of locally quarried granite on a small promontory in the south of the island at Nam Tam Wan. It faced south for the sun and had domestics' accommodation at the rear, and a large garden or yard.
House #25 may be seen in an early Mission photo of 1911. Its occupant/owner is recorded as Rev D R Taggart, a member of the Reformed Presbyterian Churches China Mission. These missionaries between themowned/occupied at least 6 holiday villas on Cheung Chau, including numbers 2, 8, 14, 16, 23, & 25.
In 1926, the owner was missionary Ruth Hitchcock of the Hebron Mission in China, who purchased the property as a vacation home for herself and other fellow missionaries with funds from her parents in California. Her story is told in the book The Good Hand of Our God.
In the European owners list of 1938, the owner is recorded as Mr J M Dickson, who may have been a missionary or wealthy HK resident.
By 1939 the photographic evidence showshouse #25 with a flat concrete roof, replacing an earlier timber roof with tiles. A common problem with timber roofs was destruction by white ants, so concrete roofs were a sensible solution.
During the war, the house was damaged by the Japanese, who blew up western-owned houses, and also by the locals, who stripped all the wood for fuel. After the war, it was restored with a newer look.
During the 1950s the above post records that the house was owned by a missionary family named Decker.
Today the site is occupied by two semi-detached houses.
Comments
Scott Boyle writes that a
Scott Boyle writes that a missionary family named Decker lived in this house in the 1950s.
Number #25 origins
[Updated 2/12/25]
At the beginning of the 20th century, missionary organisations operating in China found that Cheung Chau was an ideal setting for holiday villas for their missionaries. There was a building flurry in 1908-10.
House 25 was a small bungalow, sturdily built, because of typhoons, of locally quarried granite on a small promontory in the south of the island at Nam Tam Wan. It faced south for the sun and had domestics' accommodation at the rear, and a large garden or yard.
House #25 may be seen in an early Mission photo of 1911. Its occupant/owner is recorded as Rev D R Taggart, a member of the Reformed Presbyterian Churches China Mission. These missionaries between them owned/occupied at least 6 holiday villas on Cheung Chau, including numbers 2, 8, 14, 16, 23, & 25.
In 1926, the owner was missionary Ruth Hitchcock of the Hebron Mission in China, who purchased the property as a vacation home for herself and other fellow missionaries with funds from her parents in California. Her story is told in the book The Good Hand of Our God.
In the European owners list of 1938, the owner is recorded as Mr J M Dickson, who may have been a missionary or wealthy HK resident.
By 1939 the photographic evidence shows house #25 with a flat concrete roof, replacing an earlier timber roof with tiles. A common problem with timber roofs was destruction by white ants, so concrete roofs were a sensible solution.
During the war, the house was damaged by the Japanese, who blew up western-owned houses, and also by the locals, who stripped all the wood for fuel. After the war, it was restored with a newer look.
During the 1950s the above post records that the house was owned by a missionary family named Decker.
Today the site is occupied by two semi-detached houses.