Preservation of the Inscriptions on Sapodilla Hill

By Donald H. Keith, PhD

Chairman, Board of Trustees 

AND Construction team with the "stone stretcher"

Sapodilla Hill, the southernmost point of Providenciales is one of the most important sites of historical significance in all the Turks and Caicos Islands.  For centuries, passengers and crew members whiled away the hours spent waiting for their ships to load and unload in Sapodilla Bay by carving inscriptions into the soft rocks.  The inscriptions include the names of many of the most prominent families in the TCI as well as dates and images of houses and ships.  In recent years population growth on Provo and resulting increase in visitation to Sapodilla Hill has resulted in breakage, vandalism, and theft of many of the portable stones bearing inscriptions.  Concerned that the inscriptions would be stolen or destroyed if left unprotected, the National Museum, DECR, AND Construction and the Do It Center,  joined forces to save all the portable stones bearing inscriptions. 

Loading was done carefully and professionally.

The feat was accomplished on Saturday, December 11, in only a few hours.  Because the path from the top of the hill is steep, rocky, narrow and impassable for motorized vehicles, plenty of strong backs and several “stretchers” were needed to man-handle 40 stones, some weighing several hundred pounds, more than 100 meters to the nearest road.

The stones are safe and sound.

There, the largest stones were loaded into the bed of AND Construction’s truck, thickly padded with heavy insulation material.  The remaining stones were placed in the trunks and back seats of four private vehicles for the slow, cautious trip to the Museum’s facility in Grace Bay where they were off-loaded for storage until the next phase of the project begins.  Amazingly, there was no damage to the stones or injuries among the work crew.

The National Museum wishes to thank Chris Haggie and ­­­­­­­­the entire AND Construction crew, Ken Adams of the Do It Center, photographer David Stone, architect Jeff Lee, volunteers Duncan, Fraser, and Sally Hutt, and Tom and Jill Linette -- two tourists from Allentown, Pennsylvania who stopped by to see the inscriptions but pitched in immediately when they saw we needed help.

The Sapodilla Hill "Rescue Squad" after a hard day's work and still smiling.

It was a great day with a great team! Many thanks to David Stone for taking all the photos.

The Map and Picture Room Become a Reality

By Jackie Garbarino
Museum Gift Shop and Volunteer Manager

With the help of hardworking and precise volunteers, Pat Saxton's dream of a map room is now complete and open for business. Painting, carpentry, interior design and sheer muscle power came together in the best possible way.

Our local and visiting customers are very impressed with the result.

 



 The shop is happy to be selling more maps than usual, so all is good at the Guinep House Gift Shop. Come in check out our maps and pictures.

Holiday Party

By Jackie Garbarino
Museum Gift Shop and Volunteer Manager

What would the holiday be without a party!?!  And this one was to thank all our staff and volunteers for working so hard these past four months.  Not everyone could be there but we still want to thank everyone.

In the picture are Ann Dempsey, Candianne Williams, Nikki Jennings, Alessio Girotti, Pat Saxton, Melanie Clifton-Harvey (she ducked down as I took the picture but I know she was there!), Joseph and Johnnie, Donald Keith, Deborah Kigozi, Derek Taylor and Claude Bagot.

The food and the company were fantastic!

Missing are Pat Cassidy, Catherine Foley,  Mitchell Loeb, Katja Rauber, Stephanie Human, Neil Saxton, Meg and Gordon Ward, Daniel Oselette, Roger Hartley, Barry and Gwen Garbarino, Hedley King and me. Someone had to take the picture.

Let me know if I have forgotten you and I will offer a sincere apology and claim old age as the culprit.  You have no idea how much we appreciate all that you have done to spruce up the museum!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

Donna and Susan Bring Gifts for the Museum

What wonderful holiday gifts for the museum in December. The illustrator Susan Spellman for "Where is Simon, Sandy?" visited Grand Turk with the author Donna Seim. They spent an afternoon at the museum signing books for the young and old.

Susan Spellman (left) and Donna Seim (right) surprise us
with the watercolors from "Where is Simon, Sandy?"
Their very supportive husbands proudly look on.

Then to our delight they announced the donation of two beautiful original watercolors to the museum. Joseph and I quickly located the spot to display them in the gift shop and Joseph got out his paint brush and prepared the wall.

All the visitors to the gift shop are enjoying these whimsical paintings.