Completed in 1818, St. George's Church was built by the British East India Company using convict labor. It was designed by Captain Robert Smith, a military engineer who drew inspiration from St. George’s Cathedral in Madras. The church was established to serve the spiritual needs of the growing British community and to commemorate the founding of Penang in 1786. During World War II, the building was severely damaged by Japanese air raids and looted of its furniture and pipe organ. It was meticulously restored in the post-war years. In 2007, it was officially declared one of Malaysia's National Heritages, a testament to its architectural beauty and its role in the early history of the Straits Settlements.