On the left of this postcard lies the building of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), a non-sectarian movement whose origins can be traced back in London in 1844. Originally located along Armenian Street, the YMCA of Singapore moved to its current site at Orchard Road, where it served as the headquarters of the Eastern Branch of the Kempeitai during the Japanese Occupation, becoming known as a notorious torture and detention centre whose victims included war heroine Elizabeth Choy and her husband. Just a few steps away resides the Orchard Road Presbyterian Church (ORPC), as seen on the right side of the postcard. Its origins can be traced back to 1856, when it was founded as the Scottish Church to cater to the Scottish business community in Singapore. In 1877 Colonel Archibald E. Anson laid the foundation stone of the church building on the current site, which was completed the following year. The ORPC joined the Synod in 1971, and it was not till 1975 did the church undergo a revamp, expanding its premises, as well as giving it a modern makeover.
