Located under the shade of a Banyan Tree, Bai Mancooverbai Ardon Pyaav was the site of an important freshwater well in the erstwhile Bombay Green area before it was converted to a drinking fountain in 1873.
The fountain at St. Thomas Cathedral was donated by Parsi industrialist and philanthropist Sir Cowasji Jehangir (1812-78), from the fabulously wealthy Readymoney family, who is credited with erecting several other drinking fountains in Mumbai.
The HSBC Building was originally built for the British Bank of the Middle East (BBME). BBME started as the Imperial Bank of Persia in 1889. At the time, it was the first modern bank in Iran. In 1952, the bank exited the Iranian market and was later renamed the British Bank of the Middle East (BBME). In 1959, BBME was acquired by HSBC.