Sugar Works Museum to be further developed this year

The government has plans to further develop the Lower Estate Sugar Works Museum in the BVI.

There are also plans to add a Heritage Sculptural Gardens to the historical site.

The museum, a popular tourist attraction, was damaged by in the 2017 hurricanes.

Director of Culture Dr Katherine Smith said the building which houses the museum was recently assessed and deemed in need of maintenance work.

“First, the building floods and that must and can be mitigated. It also needs maintenance. For example, the right wall on the west wing of the building needs support and it needs support simply because of the passage of time. Of course, that wing is the oldest part of the building,” Dr Smith explained.

After maintenance is done, the heritage garden will be added to help tell the entire history of the important historical site.

“The work being done by the Department of Culture is to restore the history surrounding the building, which is quite extensive, and to develop a heritage garden and trail in the surrounding area,” Dr Smith said.

During an interview on the Honestly Speaking radio program, the historian said the history that can be told in that museum can be transformative for the community.

“Perhaps the whole area can be transformed into a cultural hub,” Dr Smith suggested.

She also said there is a lot of information available to develop the museum and connect Virgin Islanders to their history.

The Lower Estate Sugar Works Museum tells the story of the BVI through artefacts and exhibits that show what life was like on the islands several generations ago.

The estate was originally built by the McCleverly slaves, but by 1900, the government acquired the works and produced sugar there until the 1940s.