“You could say that he was a lazy Governor,” chuckles Vikas Dilawari, conservation architect, as he oversees Phase 1 of the restoration work undertaken at Byculla’s Christ Church. Completed in 1833, this Neo-Classical landmark that sits on Clare Road was the brainchild of Governor Monstuart Elphinstone (1819-27).

A view from the mezzanine floor. The original lath ceiling plaster, unique to 19th century buildings, was restored using similar materials, perhaps for the first time in Mumbai. The ends of all the wooden trusses had decayed, and were strengthened using structural engineer Kiran Bhavsar’s inputs. The columns were a gift to the church, and were intended for the Town Hall’s Grand Assembly Room. Pics/Suresh KK