The following article offers a glimpse into the complex history of White Hall, a once private home that became government offices and was immortalized in a 1960 Trinidad & Tobago stamp. The article was submitted by APS Chapter Cresthaven Stamp Club as an Article of Distinction for 2023 and was written by club Liaison Dan Maddalino for the April 2023 edition of the journal. To learn more about the Cresthaven Stamp Club, visit their website.
To read other Articles of Distinction, click here.
White Hall was once a private residence which now houses government offices. Its appearance on a 1960, 5¢ postage stamp of Trinidad & Tobago (Scott #91¹, Figure 1) certified its importance in this nation’s history.
Figure 1
Near the end of the Gilded Age, roughly 1870 -1910, deep international economic inequity, greed, and corruption fueled a financial panic that caused economic depression world-wide. This, then, lead to increased European migration to the British Caribbean, especially from Poland, Russia, Italy, and Greece². These immigrants were lured by the economic opportunities available. One of these Greek immigrants was Joseph Leon Agostini (1839-1906)³.
Joseph Agostini developed a thriving coco processing business with strong international sales from the island of Trinidad. Around 1900, he, along with six other prospering entrepreneurs, built large, opulent residences on Maraval Road in Trinidad’s capital, Port of Spain. In 1904, Mr. Agostini started construction on what would be one of Port of Spain’s grandest homes. He expected the project to take about four years. Unfortunately, Mr. Agostini died unexpectedly in 1906. The completion of the project, and its mortgage, turned into an unsustainable burden on his family after the international coco market collapsed. The home (Figure 2), named Rosenweg (Path of Roses), was completed in 1908⁴, but the Agostini family were foreclosed and left.
Figure 2
An American industrialist, Robert Henderson, bought Rosenweg and renamed it White Hall after seeing the sun gleam brightly off its white Barbadian coral building blocks⁵. The Siegert family inherited White Hall from the Henderson’s and occupied it until the outbreak of World War II⁶. The occupation of White Hall by the U.S. Military effectively ended private ownership of this grand residence⁷. White Hall currently houses the Office of the Prime Minister.⁸
Philately came to White Hall in 1948. The structure, by now, had been taken over by several government services and departments. However, some of its larger indoor spaces were rented out for events. The First Caribbean Intercolonial Stamp Exhibition was held at White Hall from May 6 to May 9, 1948. This four-day philatelic exhibition was hosted by the recently reorganized Trinidad Philatelic Society and is celebrated by an illustration of White Hall on its cachet cover. The souvenir cover (Figure 3) can be found with a variety of then-current Trinidad and Tobago postage stamps sent to many international destinations. The cover shown here is franked with the 1¢ Scott #50, 2¢ #51, and 3¢ #51A⁹. Its destination is Buenos Aires, Argentina. Of special note is the skeleton CDS showing the Wide-E variety: “WHIT EHALL”.
Figure 3
White Hall finally makes the cover. On September 24, 1960, White Hall finally reached the status of a national heritage site and was recognized with a stamp and First Day Cover (Figure 4) for its honor.
Figure 4
It would be 47 years, now in Trinidad and Tobago’s post-colonial era, before another postage stamp honors White Hall (Scott #826¹⁰, Figure 5).
Figure 5
Notes
Stamps, covers and post card are from the collection of the author.
- Jay Bigalke (ed.), Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, Volume 6B. (Sidney, Ohio: Amos Media: 2022) p. 181
- Internet: https://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/thegildedera Accessed September 30, 2022
- Internet: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/189515564/joseph-leon-agastini. Accessed October 1, 2022
- Internet: https://www.nationaltrust.tt/location/whitehall. Accessed September 21, 2022
- Internet: https://www.citizensforconservationtt.org/homr/sites/white-hall-rosenweg. Accessed September 21, 2022
- Internet: https://www.udecott.com/project/whitehall. Accessed September 21, 2022
- Internet: htpps://www.gpsmyciti.com/attractions/white-hall/44562. Accessed September 22, 2022
- Internet: Reference 4
- Bigalke; Reference 1. p.181
- Bigalke; Reference 1. p. 192