Sugiyo, Colonial Buildings, and the Surviving Historical Traces in Cilincing, North Jakarta

Amidst the dense settlements of Cilincing, North Jakarta, stands an old colonial-era building that remains inhabited to this day. Located on Jalan Sungai Landak, the building has been the residence of Sugiyo’s family, aged 72, for more than six decades. The building is almost invisible, obscured by rows of other structures along the roadside.

Sugiyo recounted that in 1961, his father, along with several other members of the army, was relocated to the building from the Lapangan Banteng area in Central Jakarta. “At that time, the troops stationed at Istiqlal were given a place here. If I am not mistaken, the Regional Military Commander (Pangdam) was Mr. (Umar) Wirahadikusumah,” he told Kompas.com on Thursday (21/5/2026). “There were no houses back then. From here, you could see straight through towards the Cilincing District Office.”

The old building is now known by residents as the Veteran Fisheries Barracks. According to Sugiyo, all the original inhabitants who moved to the building were military families. “The ones originally living here were all soldiers.”

The building was previously used by British troops as a headquarters during the invasion of Batavia in 1811. Following Indonesia’s independence, the building was subsequently occupied by families of TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) veterans, including Sugiyo’s family. Traces of the building’s age are still visible today; the veranda, which serves as a gathering place for residents, features an old tiled roof supported by green cast iron. While parts of the roof have begun to develop holes and decay, the iron structure remains sturdy.