Georgetown : The National Trust of Guyana had submitted City Hall for nomination to the World Monuments Watch list, Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony announced. This is the first time Guyana has been placed on the list.
Minister Anthony said a broad stakeholder committee was needed to advocate for repairs at City Hall, and this had to be done in conjunction with the Georgetown City Council.
The Minister said this is a positive for Guyana as it will generate publicity about this heritage site.
Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana National Trust Nirvana Persaud said, “This is more of an international promotion or advertisement at that level …The fund, while they have some amount of funds they dedicate in smaller sections to these sites.” City Hall will be on the list for the period 2014 – 2016.
She expressed hope that the site will attract the attention of local sponsors to assist in some aspects of City Hall’s restoration. “During this period it is expected that the local community, will mobilise awareness and would form groups so as to help safeguard it.”
“It is a prestigious opportunity for us to really work towards preservation of one of our most remarkable structures, and it’s one of the most remarkable throughout the Caribbean,” Ms. Persaud said.
The WMF had received 248 nominations, from which 67 heritage sites from 41 countries were selected.
The 2014 watch list includes cultural landscapes, eastern urban areas, civic buildings, industrial heritage gardens, and religious structures.
Georgetown City Hall is a nineteenth-century Gothic Revival building located on the corner of Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic in Georgetown, Guyana. The building was designed by architect Reverend Ignatius Scoles in 1887, and was completed in June 1889. The building houses the offices of the Mayor, the City Council, and the City Engineer.
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