Plantation House, Governor's residence in St Paul's district, Saint Helena

Plantation House is a Georgian structure standing on a northwest slope with two stories, seven window bays, and a central portico featuring sashed windows and ornamental cornices. Inside, the rooms have pressed zinc ceilings, a library containing roughly 2000 books, and carefully detailed architectural trim.

The East India Company built Plantation House in 1791–2 as a summer residence for the governor, away from the drier James Valley. The company governed Saint Helena until 1834, when it became a crown colony, but governors kept using the house. It was extended in 1816 and altered externally in 1960; the slate roof was replaced with metal sheeting.

The house sits in St Paul's district beside St Paul's Cathedral, both Grade I listed. It has served as the governor's official residence since the East India Company built it in 1791-92, and governors have kept using it after the island became a crown colony in 1834, while administration stayed in Jamestown at The Castle.

The house stands in the district of St Paul's, 3.6 km south of Jamestown, near St Paul's Cathedral. Tours of the state rooms are by appointment only, so arrange a visit in advance; the grounds with the tortoise paddock can be seen without booking.

Four giant tortoises live in the paddock: Jonathan, David, Emma and Fred. Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, arrived on Saint Helena in 1882 and is thought to have hatched around 1832; Guinness World Records lists him as the oldest verified living land animal and the oldest chelonian on record.