History

In the early 1900’s Sir James Scorgie Meston (later Baron Meston) was the Governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, and a close friend of the Raja Bahadur of Sahaspur Bilari. This friendship made the governor a frequent visitor to Moradabad, but without an appropriate accommodation to stay at on his visits. So, his friend the Raja Bahadur sanctioned the construction of a European guest house in 1909.

On 07 March 1913, the house was inaugurated by the Governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh and was named Meston Niwas to honour its first guest, Sir James Scorgie Meston. The Raja however continued to reside in his sprawling city residence in the old quarter of Moradabad whenever he visited town.

Thereafter the house played host to numerous eminent thinkers, reformers, royalty, Presidents and Prime Ministers, who have all walked its corridors and have enjoyed the hospitality so received.

During World War II (1939 -1945) the house was requisitioned to house senior Italian officers, who had been captured by the British Imperial Army and had thus become prisoners of war.

It was post 1945 that the dowager Rani of Sahaspur Bilari decided to use this property as her town residence. Thus, the late Rani became the first member of the royal family to shift into Meston Niwas, and on doing so the house came to be known as Sahaspur Bilari House.