Officials have commissioned a new National Museum in Montserrat. The £600,000 structure was designed and is being built by local architect firm Alford Dyett Associates.
Director of Tourism at the Montserrat Tourism Board, Ms. Ernestine Cassell, comments: “The start of building work on the new National Museum in Little Bay is a clear indicator that Montserrat is well on its way to re-development following the years of volcanic activity. It’s a vital part of our tourism product and represents another important milestone in Montserrat’s history.”
The Montserrat National Trust will be responsible for setting up the exhibitions once the new museum is completed. Montserrat’s old museum was located in an old sugar mill on Richmond Hill in the south of the island.
This site has been abandoned because of volcanic activity, but the artifacts and displays were removed from the sugar mill and are currently in storage.
The new National Museum will have exhibition areas, a souvenir shop, meeting room, café and activity area.
The museum will also be equipped to accommodate those with disabilities.
The ground breaking ceremony to mark a start of construction of the new museum was held at Little Bay, north of the Cultural Centre and east of the Little Bay cricket field.
Chairman of the museum committee Alaric Taylor told ZJB news that they are hoping to have the building ready in time for the St. Patrick’s Day celebration next year, funding is provided by DFID through the tourism development project. In brief remarks, he said: “This is indeed a very historic occasion and we know that museums are an essential part of every single community; we know too that they were different types of museums.”
Several other officials gave brief remarks, including chairperson Mrs. Dulcie James, president of the National Trust (MNT) who is vested with the responsibility of the construction of the building, Lady Eudora Fergus, executive director of MNT, Dr. Erica Gibbs (Pictured above with Chief Minister Meade) perhaps the longest standing member of the MNT gave background history of the MNT; the Hon. Chief Minister Meade and Owen Lewis who represented the government’s Project Implementation Unit.
In his remarks the Chief Minister told the appreciable gathering for the occasion, as he noted that the building is not the museum: “We already had some very significant inputs form the museum of London and we are anticipating that they will continue to provide the support so that by the time the museum building is finished we will move straight into putting a museum in place.”
He questioned the memory of some present of their knowledge the history of limes in Montserrat. “How many of us here know the history of lime in Montserrat and the significant of Montserrat lime to the world… the phrase limey that started out with Montserrat,” as he recounted also the days when Montserrat was exporting over a million pounds of sea island cotton.
The new museum is the latest in a series of regeneration projects on Montserrat:
New airport and airline
Around two thirds of the population left Montserrat after Plymouth was evacuated in 1997, but in the last few years the population has risen again to over 5,000 people. The island was further opened up to persons in the Diaspora and visitors with the opening of the new John A Osborne Airport in 2005.
New Port
A new port facility is also currently being constructed in Little Bay, which is scheduled to be completed by 2013. This will provide safe anchorage for small cruise ships, yachts, boaters, as well the as the fast ferry that currently services the Antigua-Montserrat route.
Modern Volcanic Observatory and Volcano Interpretation Centre
To monitor the ongoing volcanic activity at the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat has one of the most modern volcanic observatories in the world, with the latest technology and research facilities. Construction of a Volcano Interpretation Centre in Little Bay is also scheduled to commence later this year.
For the original report go to http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/new-national-museum-in-montserrat/
