The government-appointed Clifton Heritage Authority is reportedly moving “aggressively” forward with the first phase of its plan to transform the historic parcel of land in southwestern New Providence into a national park.
Clifton Authority Chairman Sean McWeeney told reporters on Monday that the aim is to have the site fully accessible to the public for guided tours by this fall.
“We have many tons of all the derelict vehicles from the property, many tons of accumulated garbage,” Mr. McWeeney said.
“We are next going to put in boardwalks and other devices of that kind, which would be designed to enable unimpeded walkabouts throughout the property. That would then facilitate school tours and that would then be the beginning of the National Park we hope to develop.”
The Clifton Authority, a corporate body, is responsible for owning, managing and preserving Clifton, which encompass several hundred acres of land. The Authority is also responsible for the raising and management of funds.
It was after much controversy that the Christie led government decided to move ahead with the concept of developing a national park on the site.
Back in 1999, international archaeologists discovered that the property held clues to prehistoric civilization and “every historic era in The Bahamas up to post emancipation.”
The archaeological team unearthed artifacts eight centuries old, left behind by some of the country’s earliest settlers at the old Whylly plantation at Clifton. Since then, the archaeological finds have reportedly remained untouched.
“The Clifton Heritage property has a tremendous amount of significance to the Bahamian people,” Mr. McWeeney said.
“It transcends a piece of land. It is something [that] approaches spiritual significance and I think we are sensitive to the very special thrust that that imposes on the Authority.”
He said the Authority has taken a great deal of care to ensure that its plans are developed appropriately.
“We are all aiming to create an oasis of tranquility to which all Bahamians and visitors could have regular resort,” Mr. McWeeney said, “and we are systematically pursing that vision.”
The Clifton Heritage Park will operate for-profit businesses, including restaurants, a nature conservancy, recreational facilities, as well as sell licensed products and reproductions.
Since updating the press in January, the Authority has installed 24-hour security on site.
“It is actually a safer place to visit nowadays,” Mr. McWeeney said.
“You would also notice the fencing of more historically sensitive parts of the property is also in progress. We are trying to preserve the property in a way that would ensure its enjoyment by the widest number of people.”
Consultants Dr. James Miller and historic architect Colin Brooker of Brooker Architectural Design Consultant in South Carolina, who have played key roles in developing plans for preserving the ruins and sustainable development of the historic site, made a presentation during the Authority’s meeting on Monday.
Local environmentalist, Sam Duncombe, who led recent cleanups at Clifton, also gave a presentation while attorney and member of the Authority’s executive committee, Pericles Maillis spoke to some of the pressing environmental issues affecting the development of that parcel of land.
As Prime Minister Perry Christie sees it, the presentations offered a glimpse into the process of introducing what he called an extraordinary opportunity for family enjoyment.
“(It’s a place) where parents can take their children and in the process be exposed to the history of our country,” Mr. Christie said.
“I always thought that after the appropriate archaeological surveys that you would find a way to create a living monument to the civilizations that passed through Clifton, and this is done by putting a replica on the site of what the accommodations and facilities were that they enjoyed at that time.
“This site is an important site and we must design ways of showing the history of the people who once passed there.”
Mr. Brooker has suggested maintaining the property’s Great House as a ruin and carrying out enough restoration to keep it stable. He said one structure could be reconstructed and the others could remain ruins.
The prime minister has expressed hope that the Authority will find a way to expose students to the site even before it opens for tours.
“It is important to catch every generation that we can, to make them aware that this is a place that they must return to,” he said, “and the government through the Ministry of Education will assist.”
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
