The history and passion behind Devon House's evolution

Devon House belongs to the Government and is not a private entity. Having said that, in the 1960s, the entire property fell under the Ministry of Finance, which, at the time, was responsible for culture and was run by an organisation called Things Jamaican (TJ).

Things Jamaican had as a major focus the craft sector. With this sector as a priority, it operated a factory at 'Bumper Hall' on Spanish Town Road.

This factory provided craft persons with an outlet for their sales as it purchased raw materials in bulk and made finished craft items available to retail outlets islandwide.

TJ marketed craft for craft workers, and this meant that they did not have to be on the streets peddling two or three items per day, but could sell them instead to TJ in numbers.

This made sense to craft people who made a living from their trade, and it made sense to TJ, who could then offer stores quality items as Things Jamaican also had a grading system, so would buy only the best craft.

training

There was a training aspect to the business of craft, and Things Jamaican trained individuals in various areas: woodwork, including furniture; ceramics; leather; hand-loomed fabrics; and straw.

TJ also had a relationship with a now defunct organisation called 'Allsides', and was able to also market beautiful hand-embroidered tablecloths and napkins.

In the 1990s, the factory at Bumper Hall was closed, and the machinery that was used for woodwork and ceramics, etc, was moved out.

This was a serious blow to craft people working in those areas because for craft to be properly finished, heavy equipment, not affordable to small craft people, such as a kiln or woodwork machinery is required.

Devon House, which used to be stocked by Things Jamaican, and run by Things Jamaican was a place where one could find a full range of craft items.

It also was the focus of the best of Jamaican craft and cuisine.

For this reason, there was a focus on positioning Devon House around the authenticity of the original owner's house — Jamaica's first black millionaire, George Stiebel. There was a major effort to do so within the spirit of the truly finest that Jamaica had to offer.

At the time, names were given to various restaurants: The Grogge Shoppe was one named at the time and was located in what used to be the stables of Stiebel's house.

The Brick Oven was another, located in what used to be Stiebel's kitchen. This became the property's bakery.

In the case of the ice cream shop, Devon House I Scream, and the bakery, The Brick Oven, they were allowed to be privately managed and those shops were leased to private individuals who were asked to work within the theme of the property.

demolition

The Grogge Shoppe was run by the Government of the day, and the then prime minister and minister of culture, Edward Seaga, who saved Devon House from demolition and who conceptualised the project itself, was also very much involved in all aspects of Devon House, including even naming and developing names such as Devon House I Scream and some of the drinks served there, including the famous 'Devon Duppy'. [Edward Seaga is the writer's husband.]

In the 1990s, when Things Jamaican was closed by the Government of the day, Devon House was placed under the management of the Devon House Development Company (DHDC).

All the shops previously operated and stocked by Things Jamaican were then leased to private operators. Things Jamaican retained one store at Devon House and two at both major airports. Those shops are stocked with items made by individual craft and business operators.

At present, DHDC falls under the Ministry of Tourism and is regarded as an important cultural heritage site and a focal point for Jamaicans and tourists alike.

The DHDC Board of Directors is a fairly small board of eight individuals, many of whom volunteer their time to assist the management team,headed by Executive Director Janette Taylor.

Taylor works with a small complement of staff, including property manager Vaughn Moore, marketing manager André Reid, and finance manager Verona Shields.

In late 2007, I was asked by the minister of tourism to chair the Devon House Development Company's board, and we had our first meeting in December 2007.

The immediate challenge in 2007 was the 'House' — the mansion — because if we lost the house which had become seriously rundown, we would lose the essence of the property and a major income-earning aspect of the project itself.

The house is now complete, and the focus at Devon House is now the courtyard shops and other projects such as a wedding gazebo to be located on the East Lawns.

There is also a push to attract business in The Devonshire, an ideal location for business retreats, art exhibitions, and wedding receptions, to name a few possibilities.

The Devonshire is already open for business and we hope to attract additional funding that will see the wedding gazebo open hopefully, within a year's time, but this is dependent on funding.

The playground is also open and is an ideal setting for children's parties, which can be arranged with the management there.

The shops are now all privately run with one exception: DHDC runs The Logo Shop, which has recently been established as another income earner and which is located at the side of the mansion itself.

The tenant of the Brick Oven recently vacated the space.

Before leaving, they registered the name 'Brick Oven' as their own and so left with the name. They also operate another business by that name in Montego Bay.

We at Devon House will now have to rename that particular bakery, but we are working to have another lessee in place in about six to seven weeks.

At that point, the bakery will be re-opened with delicious and affordable patties and pastries that our patrons expect to find at this location.

In the meantime, the management of Devon House has taken legal steps to ensure that names associated with Devon House can never ever be removed from the property. This includes 'Devon House I Scream', 'The Grogge Shoppe', 'The Mahogany Terrace', and the famous 'Devon Duppy'.

The Grogge Shoppe will be open by this weekend and a lease has been signed to run this restaurant with an entity called Cuisine Plus.

privately run

The Mahogany Terrace, a wonderful little bar located next to the Grogge Shoppe under the mahogany tree, will be operated by Dfos, and is already open.

With privately run leases, the policy of Devon House, which is carried out by the management there, is to collect rent.

We make every effort to work with the individuals there to ensure they provide a service in keeping with the spirit of the place.

We also have as our policy respect for the individuals there, and we do not go into details of any tenant's business arrangements; much as we would not expect to be hearing from the Mall Plaza about the individual arrangements of the tenancies located there on Constant Spring Road.

I am very optimistic about the future of this property. We have a dedicated board, management, and staff.

I am less optimistic about the future of our craft industry, which I believe needs to revisit important aspects of the Things Jamaican solution.

Carla Seaga is chairman of the Devon House Development Company Limited.