A pre-World War II image of i palåsyo, or the palace in Hagåtña.

A pre-World War II image of i palåsyo, or the palace in Hagåtña.

The Governor’s Palace was the seat of colonial government in Guam under both the Spanish and the US prior to World War II. The original palace was built in 1736. It was rebuilt and expanded into a two-story structure in 1885, with living quarters on the second floor and offices on the first. The US would later go on to expand the Governor’s Palace and surrounding plaza to include a baseball field and badminton court.

Much of the Governor’s Palace, along with the rest of the Capital of Hagåtña, was destroyed in the American re-taking of the island from the Japanese in 1944.

Some portions of the Governor’s Palace survived the war and can still be visited today, including the Chocolate House, the Garden House and the Azotea.