NHG 07 - English Harbour

The events of the past five years have been traumatic, exciting and eventful in the Nelson’s Dockyard. The restoration of the seawall was the high point for all. From an archaeologists perspective it provided a rare opportunity for underwater research and to gain a better understanding of Georgian engineering and construction methods. As the old wall was dismantled, the original wooden wharf walls were exposed, providing an additional bonus for both the archaeologists and project engineers. During the restoration process, all dockside services were upgraded and new ones, including cable television and a mooring system were added. This has all proved remarkably successful and several of the new mega yachts have since taken up residence on the seawall.

The most traumatic event was the passing of Desmond Nicholson, the founder of the Museum of Antigua, author of numerous books, archaeologist and historian. Desmond left a tremendous legacy and in February his newest book Heritage Treasures of Antigua and Barbuda was published. Upgrading of the dockyard museum continues and a new exhibit planned for the 45th anniversary of Antigua Sailing Week, will include a section on Desmond’s contribution to the founding and development of Sailing Week and archaeology in Antigua.

Over the past few months, a troublesome spot of the harbour located below Clarence House at the eastern side of the entrance to Ordnance Bay was removed. Many deep keeled vessels have in the past “touched” this rocky outcrop, and with much effort, it was excavated and removed prior to the Antigua Yacht Charter Show. As this is a recent event, the new depth will likely not appear on charts of the harbour, but it has been a welcomed relief to Captains maneuvering onto the dock in front of the old capstans.

The major project for 2006 and 2007 is the restoration of the Joiners Loft. The loft is post and beam frame construction and is situated directly on the waterfront near the entrance of the dockyard. Architecturally, it can best be defined as an enclosed roof perched on stilts. This building was identical to the Capstan House that was destroyed by hurricane around 1924. As the structure is partially in the sea, the open lower floor permitted small boats to be dragged out for repairs. Upstairs, in the enclosed roof, the joiners and carpenters worked, and probably lived. Major damage by termites to the support posts and beams weakened the structure so in the summer of 2006 it was dismantled and replicated with greenheart wood from Guyana. The restoration project was temporarily halted at the start of the yachting season, for the location of the building at the entrance to the dockyard and associated construction activity presents numerous safety issues. Further to this, the noise from the power saws and hammering would not have been welcomed by guests in the Admiral’s Inn and Copper and Lumber Store Hotel. Work will resume immediately after Sailing Week.

Another change in the dockyard is relocation of the Immigration and Customs to a restored section in the west side of the Canvas and Cordage Building. The National Parks Authority plans to upgrade the old lockers in this building and the new facility is the first of this exciting new project.

While several of the new mega yachts now frequent English Harbour, our largest visitor in the recorded history of the dockyard, was the two day visit of Maltese Falcon during the first Super Yacht Cup Regatta. Under guidance

from veteran Captain Paul Deeth, the ship was reversed into English Harbour and moored in the channel about 100 feet off the dock in front of the Copper and Lumber Hotel. The Super Yacht Race was a grand event that provided an opportunity to see some of these spectacular vessels sailing together along the 22 mile course on the south coast of Antigua.

On the landlubber side of things, few people are aware of the active archaeological research program that is managed by the Heritage Department of the National Parks from the Dockyard Museum. On average, about 50 to 75 students, researchers and volunteers from a number of universities are involved in a variety of archaeological projects in the English Harbour area annually. These projects include, archaeological excavations at a number of pre-Columbian sites, including the well known Indian Creek site. Other projects include the naval hospital and cemetery site, the barracks at Block House and the Look Out at Shirley Height’s, and the Warner Family estate at Piccadilly. Several graduate students have received their masters and doctorates on research at these sites on Antigua and many scholarly articles and papers have been published and presented.

We are often asked if there is anything of interest about the prehistory of Antigua. Recent research at early Arawak sites have recovered small quantities of “gemstones” that were fashioned into beads, pendants and a variety of ornaments. Many of these stones are exotic to the islands and after sourcing their origins, a complex pattern of exchange and trade networks that is linked to equally complex social systems is beginning to emerge. For example, beads made from turquoise have been found throughout the Lesser Antilles, including Antigua. Bird shaped (condor-like) pendants have been recovered on Vieques Island near Puerto Rico, also made from turquoise. But where is the source of turquoise and how did it get to the Lesser Antilles around 200 AD and earlier? The only known source is Chile. To test the long distance trade connections, we tested samples of jadeite recovered from the same sites. Jadeite was used to make small axes and ornaments.

It reportedly had curative properties and was highly valued and very rare. Jadeite is unique in its composition for it can be sourced to its area of origin. Essentially, jadeite from Canada differs from that of New Zealand, China, etc. Research at the American Museum of Natural History sourced the Antiguan Arawak jadeite to south of the Montagua Fault Zone in Guatemala. So, how did Central American jadeite reach Antigua 2000 years ago? This question is now the focus of research for archaeologists working with the Dockyard Museum.

In sum, Nelson’s Dockyard remains a hub of activity. Its research, restoration and marina development programs are active and continue to make significant contributions to the social cultural heritage of Antigua and the yachting community. It is a difficult task for it involves maintaining an authentic heritage landmark while providing a modern business marina facility. But that’s another story.

Dr. Reg. Murphy is Director Research and Heritage, Nelson’s Dockyard National Park.

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