European House #3A, Cheung Chau [????-????]

Submitted by Admin on
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists

Photos that show this Place

Comments

[Updated 08/Jun/2026]

Going by the photographic evidence, House 3A was built after the main building phase of 1908-1915 on Cheung Chau, between 1920-24.

Like the other holiday homes, it was south-facing and solidly built of locally quarried granite. However, it had a pitched, tiled roof, gable-ended rather than the more secure hip design, and in the typhoon of September 1937 (mentioned above), it lost the west end of the roof and the house, including the kitchen.  

At this time the house was owned by missionary William Greene (see below). His parents, George and Valleria, had possibly owned it from new.

A Baptist missionary family named Snuggs was in occupancy at the time and had to take refuge in the house next door.

Later aerial photographs show the house with a flat reinforced concrete roof.

 

Mrs Valleria (Vallie) Ann Greene (nee Page), widow, of American nationality who died on 20 August 1934 at the age of 68 was formerly the owner of House #3A. Valleria and her husband, Dr. George Washington Greene were among the earliest residents of Cheung Chau. 

Probate was granted to her son, George William (Will) Greene of 2 Conduit Road. He took over the property at Cheung Chau. She also had a daughter, also named Valleria who was the wife of Baptist missionary, M. T. Rankin

Mrs Greene was the first foreigner to be interred at the Cheung Chau Chinese Christian Cemetery.

Source:

  1. Obituary: Hong Kong Telegraph 22 August 1934. See here and China Mail 23 August 1934. See here and scroll to Page 10
  2. Probate: Hong Kong Telegraph 27 October 1934. See here and scroll to Page 15
  3. Geni: https://www.geni.com/people/Valleria-Greene/6000000114636247049