Established as Singapore’s commercial/business centre in the 1820s, it was originally known as Commercial Square. It was renamed Raffles Place in 1858. The rectangular square in the middle of Raffles Place is known as Raffles Square. Opened in 1887, the predecessor to the National Museum of Singapore today, the Raffles Library and Museum’s mission was to collect items of historical and archaeological value from the Eastern Archipelago and in particular from Singapore. The library and museum were eventually separated and renamed National Library and National Museum respectively. Tanjong Katong (Malay for turtle point) was a coastal area which has been mostly reclaimed. North Bridge Road was one of the earliest roads built in Singapore and was constructed using convict labour.
