Ilaro Court, Official Prime Minister residence in Two Mile Hill, Saint Michael, Barbados.
Ilaro Court is the official residence of the prime minister of Barbados, a mansion built of local coral-limestone that combines Edwardian, Italian and Caribbean architectural features. Its park-like garden, laid out by landscape architect Doris Turnbull in the mid-1920s, holds a gazebo, a fishpond and an orchid house.
Ilaro Court was designed and built in the early 1920s by Lady Gilbert Carter, an American artist whose husband Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter was Governor of Barbados from 1904 to 1911. She named it after the Nigerian town where he had been stationed as an officer. The Barbados Labour Party government under Prime Minister Tom Adams bought the property in the 1980s, refurbished it and moved the prime minister's official residence there from Culloden Farm; Adams moved in officially in 1984 and died in its study a year later.
The residence hosts state ceremonies and official government functions, serving as a symbol of the nation's political life. Its name connects to a Nigerian town, reflecting the personal heritage of its original creator.
The building sits about 3 kilometers from Bridgetown and about 10 kilometers from the airport, making it easily accessible. Access is occasional through National Trust programs, so visitors should check in advance for current visiting opportunities.
The property housed the first swimming pool in Barbados, an innovative feature for the time of its creation. The pool later received a royal visit from Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales.
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