Oliphant house, German-Templer residence in German Colony, Haifa, Israel.
The Oliphant House is a German-Templer residence in Haifa's German Colony, recognizable by its stone walls, rectangular windows, and red-tiled roof that reflects construction practices from the 1880s. The building sits on Ben-Gurion Boulevard and displays the characteristic methods used by settlers of that era.
The house was built in the 1880s as part of the German Templer settlement in Haifa. British diplomat Sir Laurence Oliphant and his wife Alice moved in during 1882 and formed connections supporting Jewish settlement efforts in the region.
The residence shows how German Templers shaped a distinct neighborhood in Haifa by blending European construction methods with local materials. Walking through the German Colony, you notice how this approach to building became the character of the entire area.
The house is located on Ben-Gurion Boulevard in a neighborhood filled with restaurants and shops. You can walk to nearby buildings and explore the German Colony on foot without difficulty.
Sir Laurence Oliphant worked on railway plans while living in this house, envisioning a line connecting Ismailia to Haifa. This ambitious project would have linked major cities across the broader region.
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