Dear Editor,
As we are about to witness the sale of one of Guyana’s historical buildings situated in Duke Street, Kingston, I say to the purchaser that he is about to become the proud owner of a gem, and whatever decisions he or any other owner down the line make, I hope that consideration is given to maintaining, restoring and preserving that heritage site.
Just recently, I was in shock to see that another gem had been demolished at the corner of Church and Thomas Streets.
It’s a pity that The Roraima Group of Companies was not the buyer of the Kingston building in question and had they become the owner, it could have been named ‘The Duke’s Manor’ alongside The Duke’s Lodge. I guess that it didn’t make sense to invest at this point in time.
Nevertheless, I only hope that we don’t get carried away and just go around demolishing a section of our heritage. I am extremely grateful to the owner of the Heritage Museum on the West Coast Demerara for his sacrifice in preserving as much as he can of Guyana’s culture and history.
Yours faithfully,
T Pemberton
