AWNING LIGHTS FOR CAMPERS

Macalister Rd, Penang.
Named after Colonel Norman Macalister, a close confidant of Penang's founder Captain Francis Light, this tree-lined road accommodates spacious European-style bungalows set amongst surrounding gardens. Many of the old houses remain occupied; sadly, some have been demolished over time and others, like this one sit forlornly empty awaiting its fate. The wooden louvred shutters have long since vanished along with wooden doors and anything transportable. Even whilst derelict and seemingly unloved, the detailed yet fading beauty of this structure is clearly visible.

The architectural style is typical of the residences found in Penang and throughout the Straits Settlements. It combines European architectural idiom (particularly Palladian elements) with Chinese and Malay styles with adaptations to the tropical climate for ventilation and protection from sun and rain; louvred French windows, high ceiling interiors, clerestorey windows, porte-cochere and the use of air-wells or internal courts. At the turn of the 20th century, the Peranakan Chinese (or Straits Chinese) community were the elite stratum of society in Penang; Educated, English-speaking and highly westernised. The facade of these residences often carried highly detailed ornamentation to convey the wealth of the occupant. The fusion of architectural styles created the local architectural style named "Straits Eclectic" which can be found in Penang, Malacca and Singapore and throughout the Malay Peninsula.

Overlooking the Monongahela River, Nemacolin Castle stands proudly as silent witness to Brownsville’s historic past.
Within the spacious interior are twenty-two furnished rooms which reflect early life in America from Colonial times to the late Victorian era. Included in the collection are many original Bowman family furnishings.

In 1789, Jacob Bowman, a pioneer merchant from Hagerstown, Maryland, built a frontier trading post on the approximate site of Old Fort Burd. Active in business and commerce, Bowman was an important figure in the early development of Brownsville.
In 1795 President Washington named Bowman Brownsville’s first postmaster. In the years that followed, a mansion was built around the simplistic trading post. For several generations, the castle was home to the Bowman family.

Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public. Nemacolin Castle stands in the block between Brashear and Front Streets in Brownsville, Pennsylvania.