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Emerald Hill Road, Singapore (1 August 2017)
Emerald Hill Road is a minor road in Singapore. It is located in the Newton within Postal District 9. Today it is a narrow winding road. The road is lined on both sides with 2-storey prewar houses that have been restored. Many of these have been turned over for commercial use. Emerald Hill Road used to connect with Clemenceau Avenue North, but no longer does. Nowadays, traffic enters via Hullet Road, which in turn is fed by Cairnhill Road. A stretch of the road has one-way traffic, forming a loop with Hullet Road and Saunders Road. The southern portion of Emerald Hill Road at Peranakan Place is pedestrianized. That stretch is within the Orchard Planning Area.
According to Singapore Street Names1, the area that is today Emerald Hill was the property of William Cuppage (1807-1872), whose name lives on at Cuppage Road. He arrived in Singapore to take up the position of postal clerk, but rose through the ranks to become acting Postmaster General by the 1840s. Aside from that, he also went into the plantation business. He leased the land at Emerald Hill in 1837 to establish a nutmeg plantation, and by 1845 was able to secure a permanent grant of the land.
The land on which the two rows of terrace houses on either sides of Emerald Hill Road was acquired by the Seah brothers, Seah Boon Kang and Seah Eng Kiat around the turn of the 20th century. They subdivided the property and over the initial decades of the 20th century, terrace houses were built to replace previous houses there.
According to What's in the Name?2, Emerald Hill Road got its name in 1913. It was named after William Cuppage's Emerald Hill Estate.
The area became associated with the Singapore Peranakans after a number of notable Peranakans moved to live there.
Map of Emerald Hill Road, Singapore
Emerald Hill Road, Singapore (1 August 2017)
Emerald Hill Road, looking in the direction of Orchard Road. (1 August 2017)
Three-storey restored prewar terrace houses with French windows at Emerald Hill Road, Singapore. They have entrance archways but no five-foot ways. (1 August 2017)Two-storey restored prewar terrace houses with five-foot way at Emerald Hill Road, Singapore. (1 August 2017)
Emerald Hill Road roadsign (1 August 2017)
Emerald Hill Road Singapore on Google Street View
Emerald Hill Road Singapore (Jan 2023)References
- Singapore Street Names - A Study of Toponymics by Victor R Savage and Brenda S.A. Yeoh (2013, 2023), ISBN 978-981-4408-35-6
- What's in the Name? How the Streets and Villages in Singapore Got Their Names by Ng Yew Peng (2018), ISBN 978-981-32-2139-0
List of the Streets in Singapore; Discover Singapore
Copyright © 2003-2025 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2003-2025 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.