Via Liesl Harewood, Guest writer —

I have had the privilege of discovering the village of Rock Hall, St. Thomas over the past three months as I engaged in an agro-tourism consultancy. Perhaps it is my recent involvement with the community that caused me to take the demolition of the building highlighted in the Weekend Nation, October 31, 2008 to heart. I even recall the thrill I felt on the afternoon I “discovered” what some persons indicated was indeed one of the last remaining structures from that time – others argued that there were no such structures left.  I took pictures as if this building was my personal treasure. That magical moment of reflection and marvel about the struggles of those before us will never be experienced by others or future generations. Thanks a lot. In fact, the area of Rock Hall is earmarked as a UNESCO world Heritage Site, but who cares right?

Imagine me, a newcomer to Rock Hall, feeling this pain. What about the residents, and furthermore those born and bred there? Barbados needs to wake up and realize that we cannot keep destroying our architectural heritage and replacing it with condos and villas. All that glitters is not gold. The government needs to be held accountable for its actions, because for too long we sit back, complain, and move on.

My questions are simple. Is the government now completely ignoring the Freedom Village initiative that was earmarked for Rock Hall? Millions of dollars spent on a Freedom Monument (so you create something new), but then that actual relic and artifact that is indigenous to the times of post-emancipation (the house), you destroy? What will it be replaced by? It is not beachfront property so that rules out a condominium. Is simply erecting the statue the end of the Freedom Village project? Where is the bridge connecting the main road to the statue? And the kiosks, museum, amphitheatre that were earmarked for this project? Surely you cannot be going ahead with this project if you have now destroyed a relic and one of the last remaining ties and reminders of the accomplishment of our ancestors. Let us keep putting National Trust signs on the plantation houses and great houses, but a house built by a freed person, on land bequeathed to him by a plantation owner in the first free village on the island — let’s destroy it.

Antillean · Bridgetown, Barbados

The Antillean is a pan-Caribbean nonprofit media outlet, covering news, features and opinions on social issues in the Caribbean region and the wider Americas. Our mission is to encourage conversation on, and enhance the visibility of, social currencies within the hemisphere – issues which are often underreported in the mainstream media.

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