The lighthouse in Kingston, Georgetown Guyana.
This red and white striped, beacon of light that towers above most of the neighboring buildings, have been directing ships into port Georgetown on the Demerara River for almost two centuries. Only a few who follow Guyanese history, would know that the original Dutch built lighthouse was a temporary wooden structure which had served as lighthouse from 1817 and was ceremoniously replaced by the present British reconstructed lighthouse in 1830.
Richard Schomburg, writing of his travels between 1840 and 1844, says; “After climbing the 140 steps leading to the gallery, a wonderful panorama unexpectedly came into view. Dumb with surprise and delight, the eye swept over the heaving and billowy seas as far as the distant horizon where Earth and Heaven met; light fishing-boats pitched and tossed upon the ruffled waves, to disappear a moment later, while a ponderous coaster would skim its way through them. Below, there glared at me the thick forest of masts and flying flags. Spreading itself before my delighted gaze was the city with its nice, wooden, gaudily-painted houses, its overtopping churches and public buildings, its thousands upon thousands of slender palms, its broad busy streets, and its many canals that ran through it like so many veins.”
This landmark and heritage site is truly a pride of our capital city. This 31 meters or 103 feet high octagonal structure is located on Water street, so named for it proximity to the ‘water front’ port area at the mouth of the Demerara river.
The lighthouse in Kingston, looks over a much changed landscape. Many of the old canals have been removed and the old colonial style buildings replaced with more modern structures. However, Kingston is still my favorite section of Georgetown. Laced with memories of times gone. Now a pastiche, or as some would say a ‘collage’, made up of pieces from different times and cultures for example the Umana Yan, a thatched hut or benab, constructed for the Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference held in Guyana, August 1972, the Pegasus Hotel with its more modern design among many more.
My hope as a Guyanese, with profound love for Guyana that extends through the ages, is that this lighthouse, a beautiful relic of times past, be preserved and continue to shine its guiding light into the future.
Adrian kgenius Inniss #AfternoonMagic #lighthouse #Guyana #Georgetown #kingston #kgenius
The lighthouse in Kingston, Georgetown Guyana. Adrian Inniss
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