Feature:
Architecture Focus
FROM
Wattle
Daub
&
Antigua’s Changing Architecture Face
T
oday’s observer of architecture in yard represents the best example of Georgian living.” That observation was followed with
Antigua, and the caribbean in general, naval architecture in the caribbean and, as a lengthy quotation by Father Breton on the
cannot fail to note that the history of such, efforts should be made post haste to construction and social organisation of huts
the region has greatly influenced architectural have this architectural treasure declared a used by the original peoples. Bertholot &
development. England first colonised Antigua World Heritage Site. Guamé further noted that the French from St
in 1632, through Thomas Warner, who had In defining the periods of development, Kitts, in colonising Guadeloupe in 1635 “…
earlier established a colony in St Kitts. The with specific reference to Antigua, that ulti- started to break ground, plant food, cultivate
English and French each established a colony mately influenced architectural design, Paul c quantities of tobacco, and built huts…” That
on St Kitts.
cloyd, in his pamphlet Historic Architecture account was given by Father Jean Baptiste du
There is little historical record of the archi-
– design guidelines for a historic district in Tertre in his 1667 writings of colonial settle-
tecture of that early period of colonisation,
St John’s, Antigua, noted three historical peri- ment and living.
save for the construction of fortifications. It
ods, to which he added a fourth. The periods The plantation house, following the de-
can, however, be deduced that the first Eng-
were: “First, ‘colonisation and development,’ nuding of forests in Antigua leading to the
lish settlers of Antigua, in similar manner to
from the first settlement in Antigua in 1632 establishment of plantations, provides an
the first settlers on Guadeloupe “…started to
to the peace of Aix-La chapelle in 1748. Sec- insight into the architecture of that early
break ground, plant food, cultivate quantities
ond, ‘maturity and wealth’: 1748 begins a pe- period of colonisation. It is to Parham, the
of tobacco, and built huts…” The unavail-
riod of peace that allowed for commercial and then capital of Antigua, that we must look
ability of building materials used in Europe
agricultural development to occur without for the best known example of the plantation
meant that materials from the natural envi-
threat of war. Third, ‘period of decline’: 1848 house. Parham Hill was first constructed in
ronment were used to create shelter for the
begins a period when the sugar industry loses 1722, and expanded over time with a series of
earliest settlers, including the governor.
its momentum and free trade is introduced in structures that utilised architectural elements
The British placed great emphasis on the
England. Fourth, ‘political independence and of the period. Its living room was divided in
development of a system of fortifications con-
tourism’: This period starts with the end of two by way of three arches. This feature - that
sidered necessary to adequately defend their
the Second World War and the start of trade is the three arches - was used in houses built
economic interests in Antigua. While the
unionism to the present.” in the late 1950’s and 1960’s as a means of
architecture was without doubt military in
When examining the historical periods as separating the living room from the dining
character, it was slave labour and craftsmen
defined, it is painfully obvious that there is area. Another plantation house of note is the
that built those extensive structures. Many
neither reference to the presence of the indig- Weatherills Estate House. The present house,
of these fortifications now lie in ruins, with
enous peoples that inhabited these islands of however, was built around 1890, although the
little or no plan to carry out major restora-
the caribbean archipelago, nor the influence estate was established around 1660.
tion work.
of their construction methods on the earli- It is believed that St John’s was laid out
It was during this period that Nelson’s
est colonisers. Bertholot and Guamé, in their in the early 1700’s, and its grid layout is de-
Dockyard was developed, and played an im-
seminal work, caribbean Popular Dwelling, scribed this way by AW Acworth: “The gen-
portant role in the war efforts of the British in
noted that “The first colonists could … draw eral layout is good. It is said to be the first
the caribbean theatre of war. Nelson’s Dock-
on the experience of the caribbean way of town planned with broad parallel avenues and
44 | BusinessFocus • November/December 2006
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