Today, Nigeria is home to numerous mansions and high-rise buildings. However, before all these marvellous works of architecture were birthed, there was the forerunner - the first storey building in the country.

Built in 1845, the building holds a pride of place in Nigeria's history and is now home to local and foreign tourists.

The building, which is now 178 years old, served as the official residence of St. Anglican Church and had its foundation laid in 1842.

Its location, colour and number of rooms

According to Nigeria Galleria, the historical foundation of the ancient site was established by Reverend Henry Townsend of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) on the Marina waterfront in Badagry, Lagos, Nigeria, in 1842. Subsequently, other missionaries contributed to its construction in 1845.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!

The building is located in the coastal town of Badagry, a city that shares border with the Benin Republic. Notably, it housed some of the greatest missionaries in Nigeria's history.

NgNews reports that the building comprises six bedrooms, two sitting rooms, four stores and a safe.

The outer part of the building is painted white, while the inside adorns green colour.

Notable occupants of the first storey building in Nigeria

Nigeria Galleria reported that the building housed Claudius Philips, the first teacher in Nigeria. Philips reportedly lived in one of the rooms for 23 years (from 1845 to 1868). His portrait adorns the wall of one of the rooms.

For easy identification, Philips' portrait is of a man wearing a black suit and white trousers.

Another prominent occupant of the historical building was Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the man who translated the English Bible to Yoruba in 1845.

In one of the two rooms on the upper floor of the building, a glass case held the English and Yoruba versions of the Bible, both translated by Samuel Ajayi Crowther. The English Bible is approximately 173 years old, while the Yoruba version dates back around 170 years.

Legit.ng gathered that the building usually opens by 8 a.m. and closes by 6 p.m. to visitors. Some exciting attractions of the building include a 'miracle' well dug in 1842 and the rooms where the first missionaries in Nigeria stayed.

Interesting facts about the tallest building in the world

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported some mind-boggling facts about the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

Guinness World Records recognised Burj Khalifa with six other height-related achievements aside from its known world's tallest building status.

Some of the height-related records the Burj Khalifa holds include the tallest elevator in a building (504 m; 1,654 ft), most floors in a building (163), the highest restaurant from ground level (441.3 m; 1,447 ft 10 in) and the most elevated outdoor observation deck.

Source: Legit.ng