Historic City Hall falling apart

May 20, 2010 News

Photo shows one of the worst sections of the dilapidated tower at City Hall.

…Mayor to seek local and int’l funds for restoration

City Hall, one of the capital city’s most handsome buildings, is falling apart, but there might be hope yet still.
Mayor Hamilton Green said that he is ready to launch an initiative to seek funding to repair the structure while maintaining its architectural value.
City Hall is now just over 100 years old. Its architecture is described as Danube Gothic in timber, largely due to its stylized tower, with wrought-iron crenellations at the very apex.
However, the evidence is clear that the building is in desperate need of repairs. For example, some of the decorative posts surrounding the tower could be seen hanging – tied to the structure by lengths of rope.
The National Trust of Guyana lists City Hall as one of the Caribbean’s finest buildings, “a near miracle of timber construction.” Apart from the tile roofs, cast iron columns and decorative elements, the structure is entirely fabricated from local timber.
City Hall was built after a design which was submitted by Reverend Ignatius Scoles.
The services of Messrs Sproston of the La Penitence Woodworking Company were hired to construct City Hall at a cost of $39,950. The building was opened by Governor Viscount Gormanston before a large gathering of British Guiana’s most influential people on July 1, 1889.
Rectangular in shape, with three floors, the construction of the building is an interpretation in wood of the “fancy dress” style of Gothic revival architecture which was common during the Victorian era of the 19th century.
The tower, which rises 96 feet, is one of the main attractions of the building. It is accentuated with conical pinnacles at its upper corners. But it is this part of the structure that shows the greatest evidence of deterioration.
Another interesting feature of City Hall’s design is the hammer beam roof construction employed in the Concert Hall.
The resultant complex of the curved ceiling allow for different planes to break sound paths for better acoustics. After the destruction of the Assembly Rooms in February 1945, the Concert Hall was the premier venue for the staging of cultural productions in this country.
The National Trust surmises that City Hall is an eloquent reminder of Guyana’s renowned timber architecture and that “it is a masterpiece worthy of preservation for future generations.”
Mayor Green told Kaieteur News that the Town Council carries out limited rehabilitation works, but lacks the technical expertise to properly repair the building.
In any case, restoring the structure involves considerable funds, which the cash-strapped municipality does not have.
Green said he has prepared a Letter of Appeal to seek local and international funding for the restoration works.
He also revealed that he has also identified an expert who can supervise the restoration works.
The Mayor said he has had discussions with the Director of Culture James Rose regarding this effort.