India House, George Town

The India House, at the intersection of Beach Street and Church Street Ghaut within George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a striking Art-Deco styled double-storey building. Constructed in 1937 by an ethnic Indian, it features a distinctive exterior finished in Shanghai plaster, lending it a subdued grey appearance.

During the Japanese occupation of Penang Island in December 1941, the building remained unoccupied. However, in the aftermath of World War II, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) temporarily used the space as its headquarters had been destroyed during the conflict. Eventually, HSBC relocated to the newly constructed HSBC Building in 1951.

Subsequently, the India House served as the location for the Lincoln Resource Centre of the United States Information Service (USIS) until the 1970s. The Lincoln Resource Centre was part of a global initiative by the USIS to establish well-equipped libraries aimed at fostering understanding of the United States, its institutions, culture, and ideals.