GEORGETOWN Mayor Hamilton Green said recently that by the time repair works are completed on City Hall, every board would have been returned to the pristine beauty and authenticity of the original architecture.

“We have received word from the Ministry of Finance,” the mayor said recently, regarding the progress of works to be done.
He told city councillors at their most recent statutory meeting that the initial and comprehensive review of what needs to be done is underway. A draft was sent to him and he has since forwarded it to the town clerk and city engineer.
Based on persuasion by the mayor and Minister of Culture, Green said not only City Hall will be examined for restoration, but also the building immediately south of City Hall that is now being used by the City Engineer’s Department.
Before the end of this year, he said works should be completed on the proposals so that the physical work can be proceeded with. “We are discussing restoration, not just repairs, so that every board can return to the pristine beauty and authenticity of the original architecture,” Green said.
Meanwhile, though unable to estimate a figure for restoring City Hall to its former glory, Green told this newspaper in an earlier interview he was very optimistic that the task will be completed in its entirety sometime next year.
He said the European Union and the Ministry of Finance have already signalled their readiness to assist with the restoration project. “It is a very complex building. There is a lot of iron work to be done and the roof as well. It’s a lot of work and so it will cost a lot, but I wouldn’t want to guess a figure,” he said.
He is also not sure if the skills to get the job done are available locally, but he said he envisions a completed project before the end of next year.
In 1995, the Government of Guyana proposed Georgetown City Hall as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building was designed by architect Reverend Ignatius Scholes in 1887 and was completed in June 1889.
At 2:00 pm on December 23, 1887, Governor Henry Turner Irving laid the foundation stone for City Hall at the north-east corner of the main building, along with a glass jar containing original documents pertaining to the building.
City Hall was officially opened at 3:00 pm July 1, 1889 by Governor-Viscount Gormanston. The Archbishop of British Guiana, William Piercy Austin, then blessed the structure. However, the building started to rapidly deteriorate in recent years and now requires urgent repair works.
City Hall is a building of unique architectural design, and is often described as “The most picturesque structure,” “The most handsome building in Georgetown,” and “One of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the Caribbean.”