Editorial | Sav-la-Mar’s shame

A former senator from western Jamaica created a stir on social media this week when he posted a photograph of a beautiful cast-iron fountain in the Westmoreland capital, Savanna-la-Mar.

Frederick Hamaty reminded his followers that the fountain was gifted to the town in 1887 by a Westmoreland planter, E. J. Sadler, and he lamented the fact that it is now being used as a garbage bin and urinal. Persons responding to his post were nostalgic about what that fountain represented for them in bygone days, while they called for urgent action.

The fountain was listed by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust on June 19, 2000. It is described as a Corinthian-fluted cast iron fountain, from the base of which eight columns emerge, giving the structure an octagonal appearance. On each of the eight columns is an arch, and over each arch is a plaque with a pelican motif. Surely, such an intricate work of art is worthy of appreciation and preservation.

Sadly, it is not just Westmoreland where architectural treasures and monuments of historic significance suffer from benign neglect. These monuments have cultural importance and offer an insight into our past. They also tell something about a community’s attitude towards preserving its past and learning from it.

WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY?

At the current time, more than 100 of Jamaica’s ancient artefacts, including Taino relics, are residing in the British Museum and requests for their return have been ignored. One of the arguments put forward is that Britain is better able to preserve and display the objects than Jamaica can. Though painful to admit, we believe the Savanna-la-Mar fountain and other neglected treasures might be used to prove that point.

Whose responsibility is it to maintain these architectural treasures and historical monuments? By an act of Parliament, the National Heritage Trust was founded in 1957 with the responsibility for promoting, preserving and developing Jamaica’s heritage. The trust is also expected to help with the maintenance of the monuments, thereby preventing them from falling into ruin.

The Westmoreland Municipal Corporation also has a role to play in maintaining civic pride. The citizens also need to treat historic treasures and public facilities with respect. This fountain is being abused by the very citizens who should see that it is well preserved, and in so doing, show their regard for the environment and their interest in health and well-being.

Beyond that, there ought to be serious legal consequences for people found guilty of vandalising, defacing or in any way destroying national monuments.

It is instructive that the most popular heritage site by far is the Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road in St Andrew, which is managed by connections of the late music icon. Presumably, the fees charged for entry are ploughed back into maintenance. Then there is Devon House, with its famous ice cream being a drawing card for visitors. Although some of its design choices have not been very popular with members of the public, it is well preserved and serves as one of the few accessible green spaces in the nation’s capital.

EXPLOIT RESOURCES

As the Jamaican economy leans more heavily on tourism revenues, every attempt should be made to exploit its resources. Heritage tourism is growing in popularity and Jamaica could do better in that area.

Annually, tourists flock to some of the world’s famous fountains, such as Trevi in Italy, Prometheus in New York, and the World War 11 Memorial Fountain in Washington, DC.

Even though mass tourism might have bypassed Savanna-la-Mar, it is not too late for the National Heritage Trust and the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation to turn their collective attention to this fountain and give it a new lease on life. It will most likely give a lift to the citizens by becoming a fountain of change.