The first thing the Britishers did after gaining some control on territory was to set up a cantonment. In Baroda, the British Cantonment was located in the area now called Fatehgunj, which over the years has been fragmented into many parts. The major portions of the cantonment area are now occupied by the Indian Army and an EME Headquarter, while the rest has been divided between housing settlements and commercial complexes.
Earlier the cantonment occupied an area of almost 5 sq km and used to house the first and the only postal station of Baroda until 1863. It is said that garrison stationed here consisted of a regiment of Native Infantry belonging to the Indian Army. The cantonment even has a separate church on its premises, which was consecrated by Bishop Herber in 1825. Apart from this, it had a charitable dispensary, a vernacular school, a school for European children and a separate cemetery. It is said that it used to have a Badminton court and a swimming pool.
While the cantonment was here, the Residency fell into the city limits. It was housed in a bungalow now called the Sayaji Bhawan (Residency). Before this, the Residency was situated in the Kothi area (Anandpura).
There is also a column of Songadh Stone, erected in the memory of the British resident Mr. Williams by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad II.
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Now the home of the Indian Army, the cantonment houses the EME Temple famous for its unusual architecture.
*Cantonment is a military or police quarters, or it is an essentially permanent residential (or called barracks) section military installation.
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