THE Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the National Trust, in collaboration with the World Monument Fund (WMF), hosted a ‘Watch Day Forum’ at the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown, yesterday.

It was aimed at raising awareness of City Hall for protection and promotion of this historic building.
Research and Documentation Officer at the Trust, Ms. Lauren Grant explained that City Hall has been successfully selected for listing on its 2014-2016 World Monuments Watch List as a site at risk globally.
This enlistment aims to raise awareness at the international level in an effort to promote and possibly aid in the safeguarding and long term survival of this unique wooden structure.
The WMF is a private, international, non-profit organisation dedicated to the prevention of historic architecture and cultural sites around the world through field work, advocacy, grant marking and education.
The list offers recognition of the world’s most endangered sites and the WMF will help in its promotion as much as possible, through international linkages and public awareness from various media.

ENSURE RESTORATION
Guyana is expected to raise awareness locally amongst its stakeholders to ensure restoration of this site during and beyond the two year listing period.
This year would mark 125 years since the city came into being and, over the years, the building would have provided a number of services to the residents and moreso to the people of the country, she noted.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, also speaking at the event, said he is pleased that City Hall was selected out of the 248 applications which were submitted to WMF.
This is the first such inclusion for Guyana on this list and he said that City Hall was not even supposed to be selected, noting that it should have been maintained.
It means that the site will be known globally and will eventually have a positive effect on Guyana’s tourism sector, Anthony stated.
He admitted that the building had deteriorated and last year the TVA consultants came to Guyana and did a report and from that a number of recommendations were made pertaining to saving it.
This year the Government of Guyana announced its intention to invest $200M to start the restoration work on the edifice Minister Anthony disclosed, adding that “the National Trust will be heading the process.
He urged stakeholders to lend support to the organisation in order to ensure this historic site is safeguarded.
Including benefits
Chairman of National Trust, guest lecturer Lennox Hernandez gave an overview of the history and architecture of City Hall, including benefits of its preservation.
He said determined efforts at the restoration should be made as the target is part of Guyana’s heritage and greater emphasis needs to be placed on its protection and maintenance as the country’s historic site.
Hernandez also noted that the architecture of City Hall is of the Gothic revival style with features of the British Victorian era. It shows expert craftsmanship in the manipulation of wood including the decorative use of iron at verandahs and stairways. Its architecture distinguishes it from all others in the country and regional neighbours.
Historically, it is a source of 125 years of our built heritage and, presently, it is being used as the office to carry out the duties of Mayor and City Council.
City Hall was designed by Father Ignatius Scholes, who was born in London and elected an associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1856.
On December 23, 1887, under a tent, His Excellency Governor Sir Henry Turner Irving laid the foundation stone for City Hall. A mere eighteen months later, on July 1, 1889, under heavy rainfall before a gathering of 400 influential persons, the new offices of the council were declared open.
There were also mini exhibitions highlighting various aspects of City Hall which was opened to the public on Friday, June 6, he narrated.

(By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally)