After years of neglect, restoration of the 18th Century Dutch Court of Policy Hall has been completed and on Monday, a museum was opened in the building.
Restoration on Fort Zeelandia has also been done and it is the hope of University of Guyana lecturer, Lloyd Kandasammy that further work to fully restore the historic fort will commence this year.
Fort Zeelandia is situated on Fort Island, Essequibo River. The original project was the brainchild of Dutch Commander Laurens De Heere, but it was completed by Governor Sir Laurens Storm van Gravesande in 1744. The lower storey served as a warehouse for provisions and powder magazines. The upper storey housed the quarters of soldiers and non-commissioned officers. There were mortars and swivel guns on the roof. Fort Zeelandia also has an armoury in its southwestern bastion. It is shaped like a vault and is built of red bricks.
Within the vicinity of the fort lies the Court of Policy building. It was constructed after the fort for the meetings of the Court of Policy. It was also used as a church. On the floor of the building are memorial slabs to members of the Roth and Backer families. One was Michael Roth, a surgeon who worked for the Dutch West India Company and died on November 13, 1790. Johannes Backer was the Captain and Commander of the military services in Essequibo. He died on February 19, 1772. His son, Laurens G.L. Backer, died on September 1, 1768.
The building is a solid brick structure and it was used as a courthouse and vendue office during the week. The building is 103 feet long and 36 feet wide. The walls are 24 inches thick. The building has three chambers and one central hall flanked by small rooms. Criminals received the death sentence in this building.
Fort Zeelandia and the Court of Policy Hall were declared National Monuments by the government in 1999 and are being maintained by the National Trust of Guyana.
Monday’s opening of the Dutch Heritage Museum, culminated years of work by Kandasammy and the National Trust of Guyana to restore the historical site. Declaring it open, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Frank Anthony said Guyanese culture is distinct and unique and an untapped resource which must be cultivated. He thanked the residents for donating the items in the museum and charged them with educating themselves and their children so that they can be “little historians in their own right”. He asserted that there is a lot of history to be documented in Guyana by historians and stated that this “unenviable task is compounded by each passing day”. He noted that there is $100 million budgeted for the endowment of the arts and works to be done include maintenance on the National Cultural Centre and the Umana Yana among other things. He revealed that there are preliminary plans for a weekend boat service from Parika to the island for local and international guests.
Meanwhile, Kandasammy recounted that when he first visited the site in 1997, it was in a bad state. After formulating a plan in 2000, he said, work commenced though funding was limited and the work was done in stages. He revealed that the idea of the museum was conceived during that time and every item in the museum is donated by residents. He asserted that Guyanese lack appreciation of their historical heritage and declared that it is a great shame.
A tour of the museum revealed maps, banners, illustrations and artefacts from as far as Fort Nassau in Berbice. In chronological order the museum details the development of the “Wild Coast” by the early Dutch traders and their subsequent activities in commerce and later agriculture from the period 1580 – 1803.
Speaking with Stabroek News later about the project Kandasammy said initial works started in 2001 when the structure around the Court of Policy Hall was excavated. Because of limited funding, work was concentrated on the areas needing urgent attention including the roof of the Court of Policy Hall which was being eaten by termites, rotting, leaking and bat-infested. Also the doors and windows were broken. Work was started on the said building though in 2004. Work was shifted to Fort Zeelandia and then shifted back to the Hall in 2005. Previously, in 2001 the walkway connecting the two buildings was restored.
Kandasammy said he got involved in the work “because it represents what we should be doing with our historical buildings” and he supervised and designed the project.
He revealed that the museum has a caretaker and will be open every day. Currently though, apart from a ferry service three times a week, there is no other regular transport to get to the island and Kandasammy says that persons in the tourism sector should get involved with taking people there. He said the project required commitment and a lot of hard work, but he would like to see it continue. He said the site could serve as an “education tool” to sensitize people and give them a sense of appreciation of the history of the country. He noted that there are a lot of historical sites in the country though they are ignored and unappreciated by citizens. When people visit a historical site, he said, they “should sit down and absorb its history”. He revealed that work is in train to fully restore Fort Zeelandia and should commence this year.
