Tai Po Lookout was built in the early twentieth century by Lawrence Gibbs, a British engineer, as his residence. The Lookout had many different owners throughout the years, and was circulated around very frequently. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the Lookout was used as a torture chamber by the Japanese.Brief Information on Proposed Grade I Items: Historic Building Appraisal, pp. 352–353 After World War II, the land became government property. It was used by government officials such as the Tai Po District Officers and the Head of Police Secret Service as their private residences. In 1996, the government leased the Lookout to the Society for AIDS Care (SAC). The SAC launched the Lookout Project to provide hospice care for AIDS patients. The service was first operated in June 1997 and officially closed on the first of June 2000Council for the AIDS Trust Fund due to drying up of funds.ACA Newsfile Since then, the Lookout has been leased by the Government Property Agency to private owners and reverted to its original residential purpose.Introduction to 1444 Historical Building
