Heritage & History

George Town, Chennai Street by Street: A Heritage Walk Guide

George Town got its name by a 1906 order. Here is what each of its old trade streets is named after, what you find there now, and how to walk it.

19 October 2026

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Updated 2026-10-29, 2:05 AM

George Town has had its name since a government order of 3 March 1906, G.O. No. 158 (Public), which, as the Tamil Nadu Archives notes, replaced the old label Black Town. Its grid of narrow streets north of the High Court is still Chennai’s wholesale engine, and almost every street name tells you who traded there two or three centuries ago.

This is a street by street guide for a walk: the name, the story behind it, what you will find there now, and a few practical tips for getting around without losing your temper or your footwear.

Broadway, Parry’s Corner and NSC Bose Road

Start at the edges. Broadway splits George Town into Muthialpet and Peddanaikenpet. DT Next explains that it was once a drainage channel called Atta Pallam, filled in 1782 when Stephen Popham levelled a hill called Narimedu, giving the road its old name, Popham’s Broadway.

Parry’s Corner, at the southeast end, is named after Thomas Parry, a Welsh sailor turned merchant whose firm is still in business. NSC Bose Road runs west from here along the High Court side. At its junction with Badrian Garden Street, Sriram V records, a 15 ft obelisk marking George Town’s old southern boundary stood until it was demolished in the late 1980s. Of six boundary obelisks set up in the 1770s, only one survives, near Dare House, looked after by the Murugappa Group.

Mint Street and Linghi Chetty Street

Mint Street, the long north to south spine, takes its name from the East India Company’s mint. The mint is long gone, but the street still lives off gold: DT Next notes that jewellers here still sweep gold dust from the road. Linghi Chetty Street, nearby, is named after a Mint Master rather than a translator, and a local history records that the name has survived since the 1750s. The Mallikarjunaswami temple stands at its end.

Seven Wells Street, also in this belt, recalls the seven wells dug in the early 1750s when the Fort’s own wells turned saline; water was raised and piped to Fort St George.

Armenian Street and Coral Merchant Street

Armenian Street is the most rewarding stop for buildings. The Armenian Church, dated 1772 on its pediment, and Gokhale Hall, built in 1914 with Annie Besant’s backing, both stand here. DT Next reported in 2025 that restoration plans for Gokhale Hall had approvals but work had not started.

Coral Merchant Street, or Pavazhakara Theru, runs behind it. DT Next traces how Paradesi Jews traded Golconda diamonds and European coral beads here from the 17th century, followed by Nattukottai Chettiars who built viduthis, or travellers’ lodges. Today the street is mostly exports and logistics: hardware shops, cargo offices and lungi distributors, with three viduthis still standing.

Godown Street, Badrian Street and the old Kotwal market

For two centuries, the city’s vegetable market sat in the middle of George Town. Sriram V describes how Kotwal Chavadi was hemmed in by Malayaperumal, Audiappa Naicken, Godown and Badrian streets, with produce lorries arriving at about 3 am. Koyambedu was picked as the new site in 1975, and the move took nearly two decades more. The old market land is now Sri Kanyaka Parameswari College for women, and many shops nearby still carry “Kotwal Bazaar” on their boards.

Godown Street itself remains a dense wholesale strip; expect handcarts, goods vans and shopfronts stacked high from early morning.

Heritage status and walking tips

Several George Town landmarks appear as Grade I entries on the CMDA draft list of heritage buildings, including the Armenian Church, Dare House, the General Post Office, Gokhale Hall and Anderson Church. That listing means changes to their structure are meant to go before CMDA’s Heritage Conservation Committee.

Getting there: Chennai Beach and Chennai Fort suburban stations and the Mannady and High Court metro stations put you at the edge of the grid.
Timing: trade peaks on weekday mornings. For photographs, go early, before the goods traffic builds.
Footing: pavements are narrow or occupied. The Madras High Court heard a contempt case in December 2025 over slow clearance of George Town encroachments (DT Next), so expect to walk on the road edge.
Respect: temples, viduthis and the church are working places; ask before photographing people or interiors.

Quick answers

Why is it called George Town?

A 1906 government order renamed Black Town as George Town; DT Next links the change to a royal visit by the future King George V.

Which George Town buildings are heritage-listed?

CMDA’s draft list includes the Armenian Church, Dare House, the General Post Office, Gokhale Hall and Anderson Church as Grade I.

What can I buy on Mint Street?

Mint Street remains a jewellery and gold trade street, with many other wholesale trades along its length.

Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.