Fort St George

It was originally just a warehouse with a stockade around it. But the establishing of Fort St George in 1639, for all practical purposes, marks the birth of the city. Today the Secretariat building (where the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is housed) is the reason why most people visit. But across its colonnades and columns, the history of the East India Company can be read by the discerning. Tipu Sultan's cannons decorate the ramparts of the Fort Museum. And inside are relics of the founders and leaders of the fort. The National flag flutters atop a 150-feet Flagpole - the tallest in the country. Raised in 1687, this pole was till 1994, made completely in teak. Its replacement now, is in metal. Clive House (where British campaigner Robert Clive once resided) now houses government offices. Aptly, the fort also houses the southern office of the Archaeological Survey of India, with its much valued and splendid library of books.