SAPTA St. Andrew’s Village Heritage Hunt

This cottage was erected by Mr. R.C. Woods.

In the past, the Warden, their overall person in charge of the Junior and Secondary school, stayed here. Canon Adams, Tan Lye Whatt, Francis Thomas, C D Jansen and Harry Tan and their families were residents here.

The “Woodsville” house was named after R C Woods. Robert Carr Woods, Senior (1816 – 1875 ) was the first editor of The Straits Times. 

Besides guiding the publication through its difficult early years, he also improved the Bukit Timah cemetery, co-founded Singapore’s first law firm, served briefly as a judge, and drove the campaign for the transfer of control of the Straits Settlements from India to London. 

A former member of the Royal Botanical, Woods promoted the planting of roadside trees and worked to beautify sites such as the Esplanade and St Andrew ’s Church. 

Woods died in 1875 and was buried at the Bukit Timah cemetery. His former estate, Woodsville Close, was named after him.