Photos by Pesi Fonua

One of the oldest remaining wooden buildings of Nuku'alofa, known as 'Shirley Baker's House', which is over 140 years old, was demolished today.

The one-storey residence of the President of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga was a historical building from the same period as the Royal Palace.

Sina Vaipuna, from the office of the FWCT, said that the house was built between 1865 and 1867, for the District Chairman of the Wesleyan Church in Tonga, Rev. Shirley Baker.

Baker built his residence after he built the Palace for Tupou I in 1862. The Baker residence was not completed until 1882 with the addition of the verandah.

Sina said that following the demolition of the old building a new $1.5 million residence of the president would be built on the site. The demolition and the reconstruction work is carried out by Moala Construction.

Rev. Shirley Baker was an outstanding personality during the reign of Tupou I. He was Tonga's first Prime Minister and helped to draft Tonga's 1875 Constitution and established the Free Church of Tonga in 1884. Shirley Baker died in Ha'apai in November 1903.