St. Thomas Garrison Church, St. Thomas Mount

St. Thomas Garrison Church stands at the foot of St. Thomas Mount, named after the apostle Thomas, who is said to have lived there in his last years. After soldiers at Pallavaram and St. Thomas Mount pressed for a church and several plans were rejected, the government built a 600-seat church for both at an estimated cost of ₹43,773. It was finished in 1827 but opened only in 1830, when Bishop Turner arrived from Calcutta. It is now an ASI-protected monument.

The church is considered a copy of St Clement Danes in London. It is 133 ft long and 66 ft wide, with a bomb-proof roof, Ionic columns, a teak false ceiling and cast-iron chairs from England. Its iron railings are believed to come from Tipu Sultan's discarded weapons. The cracked English bell gave way to a smaller one from Rangoon, and the spire was cut down for planes using the nearby airport. A monument to Major-General William Sydenham is in the grounds.