Wall Tax Road, Chennai

The road runs parallel to the railway tracks of the station and borders George Town on the west.

[1] The road is named after the wall built as a protective measure by the British in 1772–1773, which still remains partially.

The attacks by Hyder Ali in 1767 catalysed the process, which resulted in the building of a protective wall around the new Black Town, including the neighbourhoods such as Muthialpettah and Peddunaickenpettah (parts of the present-day George Town), located at the northern and western sides of the Fort.

[4] The Black Town Wall, as it was known then, was conceived by the company's chief engineer John Call[5] and completed in 1772 by Paul Benfield,[6] a contractor with the British government bidding about ₹ 500,000.

[7] During the 1782 war with Hyder Ali, with the exception of Monegar Choultry, all buildings near the wall were destroyed by the government.

The outer side of the wall had provisions measuring about 600 yards for setting up a clear field for fire in the event of a future attack,[9][10] which was later developed into People's Park and a railway goods shed named Salt Cotaurs in 1859.

The wall ran from Cochrane Canal on north to Poonamalle High Road- Central Station junction on the south.

On the outer side of the walls, a vast space of six hundred yards was provided to set up a clear field for fire.

Elephant Gate, which remains till today, was then used for loading and unloading of goods carried in trams.

This historically significant Road is now besieged by commercial activities housing parcel services, lodges, hotels and the branching streets bristling with business.

After the Sepoy Mutiny, The British offered thanksgiving to God by building Memorial Hall in South Mint Street in 1860.

The fourth generation vendors were shifted from Flower Bazaar 40 years ago to Walltax Road.

Recently, they have been asked to vacate from Walltax Road by the Chennai Corporation as a measure to remove encroachment.

The Andhra Pradesh Bus Stand located diagonally opposite to Padmanabha Theatre is now turned into Walltax Road Depot.

After the closure of Andhra Pradesh Bus Stand, the market is seeing a slow business and the vendors have shifted to Koyembedu.

It is said that in earlier days, Chettiars used to sell gold kept in heaps on the road on Mint Street.