The oldest Christian church building in Singapore, the Armenian Apostolic Church of St Gregory the Illuminator was constructed in 1835 and consecrated in 1836. It served as the heart of the small but influential local Armenian diaspora community.
By the early 1820s, the Armenians had arrived in Singapore and went on to establish businesses in printing and publishing, trading and hospitality. In 1833, the community wrote to the government requesting to build a church at this site. Approval was given and construction began.
Designed by George D. Coleman, the church was an important part of Armenian life in Singapore. Aside from Sunday services and feast days, it was also where life events such as baptisms and weddings took place, fostering a sense of community. To this day, the church remains a cornerstone of Armenian community life, serving as a place of worship and a gathering space for cultural and social events.
During World War II, the church’s buildings suffered damage from nearby bombings. Much of its property, including crystal chandeliers, carpets and paintings, was lost or looted. In the post-war years, the community dwindled and numbered just 62 in 1947.
Despite its small numbers, renovation and restoration works were consistently privately funded by the Armenian diaspora through the years as they maintained the church as a sacred space even when services were no longer held regularly. The church was gazetted as a National Monument in 1973 and houses the Armenian Heritage Gallery, which opened in 2018.
