Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Century-old building goes up in flames

Dec 11, 2010 News

A mysterious fire erupted at the Court Georgetown Lily building located at 211 Camp and New Market Streets, shortly after 21:00 hours yesterday. It was an old building. Some said that sections were like a match box and it went up in a jiffy.
The building which is a landmark in Guyana was used as the congregation for members of the Ancient Order of Foresters, and also as the Adult Education Association of Guyana Inc. business school.
The building was home to all the Foresters in the city, ever since the building that house Court Georgetown Diamond and Court Robin Hood was abandoned in George Street, Werk-en-Rust some years ago.
Meeting at various times in the building were Lily, Diamond, Robin Hood, Benevolentia (the women’s court) and the senior court, Roraima.
According to neighbours, the Guyana Fire Service responded quickly and tried to contain the blaze that tended to spread quickly given the age of the wooden section of the building. Court Lily began in 1889.
No one was injured in the blaze since nobody occupied the building in the nights. The caretaker had long vacated the premises. One neighbour said that all he heard was an explosion and when he looked out the window he was confronted by the fire and contacted the fire service.
One of the Foresters, Leon Mc Donald, said that the genesis of the fire is a mystery since the only electrical appliances in the building are the lighting fixtures. In addition the building has sections that are used by various Foresters members.
He said that approximately 100 plus members congregate on a weekly basis. A mortgage was recently secured from New Building Society to renovate the building which sustained substantial damages especially to the wooden sections.
The Head of the Adult Education Association of Guyana, Wilfred Gomes, said that the building is used on a daily basis to facilitate programmes that educate the adult population in Guyana. Many books, furniture, and classroom materials have been destroyed by the abrupt fire.
He said that classes would be tremendously affected, and the organisation would accept any donation that would get back the classes in session as early as possible.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

 D-Up Basketball Academy Training camp brings Hoop Dreams to Life with Region 3 Jamboree

 D-Up Basketball Academy Training camp brings Hoop Dreams to Life...

Nov 21, 2024

Kaieteur Sports – The D-Up Basketball Academy is gearing up to wrap its first-of-its-kind, two-month youth basketball camp, which tipped off in September at the Tuschen Primary School (TPS)...
Read More
Campbell Eyes Eighth Men’s Physique Title in Final Amateur Outing

Campbell Eyes Eighth Men’s Physique Title in...

Nov 21, 2024

Alphonso, Fung-a-Fat, Munroe among top performers as Stena Drilling Junior Skill Level Tournament concludes

Alphonso, Fung-a-Fat, Munroe among top performers...

Nov 20, 2024

Guyana’s finest Physiques to battle for Glory at Mr. Guyana National Seniors Championship

Guyana’s finest Physiques to battle for Glory...

Nov 20, 2024

CWI names West Indies Test Squad for home series against Bangladesh

CWI names West Indies Test Squad for home series...

Nov 20, 2024

Georgetown romp to 292-run win over Select XI 

Georgetown romp to 292-run win over Select XI 

Nov 20, 2024

Features/Columnists

  • Bureaucracy gone bananas!

    …Peeping Tom kaieteur News- Every morning, the government wakes up, stretches its arms, and spends one billion dollars... more

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]