-Replica of historic windmill on Bajan coin
THE GUYANA government and people fully support the ongoing restoration of the wooden arms of the historic windmill at Morgan Lewis on Barbados’ east coast.
Evidence of this was the facilitation of the sourcing of the wood here to effect the restoration.
The mill has been without the arms on which the sails are attached for the wind to turn the cane-grinding mechanism inside since last year. They had been damaged by lightning.

Consul Norman Faria (right) being briefed by Mr David Nicholls beside the greenheart wood arms. (Photo courtesy of the Guyana Consulate in Barbados)

I visited the worksite, where the mammoth greenheart pieces are being trimmed at the yard of Portvale Sugar Factory. There, I was briefed by project leader, Mr. David Nicholls of the Owlsworth firm in the UK.
I was very impressed with the work of the National Trust and the British millwrights. We in Guyana are keenly interested in seeing the mill working once again. It is an important part of Barbados’ cultural history, of benefit to both locals and tourists.
The wood from Guyana is, of course, excellent and the best in the world. I understand from Mr. Nicholls that lightning deflecting devices are also being installed to prevent future damage.
This is very good work all-round, and I was very thrilled to see the progress being made so far.
The two pieces of greenheart were, before trimming, 65 feet long by 14 inches square. Special arrangements had to be made to ship them to Barbados.
The work at the Portvale yard involves trimming them and attaching special metal fittings so that the battens for the sails and extensions to the arms at the end, called points, may be fitted.
The components will then be transported to the mill in the Morgan Lewis area, a former plantation on the east coast of the island.
A crane will then be used to lift them up. When properly fitted to the main shaft at the top of the stone mill itself, they will turn from the pressure of the wind.
This is the second time within a decade that the Guyana-sourced arms have had to be replaced.
About eight years ago, new arms were put on to replace the original Guyanese wood used when the mill was reportedly built around 1727.

The windmill at Morgan Lewis in the parish of St. Andrew in northeastern Barbados

Chris Choates of the National Trust was also on hand. He said that preparations are going well, and the mill should soon be grinding, hopefully, by the end of the cane harvesting season in the island in July.
He thanked the suppliers of the wood in Guyana. “It would be difficult to get this type and size of wood from anywhere else in the region,” he said.
At one time in the 17th to 19th Centuries, there were hundreds of similar windmills all over Barbados to grind the canes on the main economy sector of making sugar for export.
As with the case in Guyana, with the coming on line of modern factories, most of the mills have being torn down, though some of the stone structures remain on private properties.
The mill at Morgan Lewis is the only one still operating. Incredibly, it was working commercially up to 1945. It was donated to the Trust by the Bannister family. Its operation is a symbolic one, mainly for educational purposes.
The grinding is visited by many tourists. Maintained by the Barbados National Trust, a likeness of it is on the Barbados twenty-five cents piece.
Soon, its mighty arms will be humming in the beautiful east coast scenery as the Atlantic winds fill its sails.
With Guyana’s little help and the dedication of Trust members, history will once again come alive for the joy of all.