Named after Charles Cornwallis, then Governor-General of India, work was started on the fort in Penang by Sir Francis Light in 1786. Reconstruction work began in 1804 under the direction of Colonel R.T. Farquhar during his term as Governor of Penang and was completed in 1810 under the governorship of Norman Macalister. The completed structure had a moat surrounding it, but this was filled after a malaria outbreak in the 1920s. Although the fort was originally built to serve as a defensive structure to protect the town from invaders, it was mainly used as an administrative building and was never involved in any battle. Gazetted in 1977 as a historical site, the fort is now a tourist attraction for visitors to the island.
