Shedding light on a lost icon

Early this week on the social network site Facebook, journalist Paolo Kernahan posted a video about the demolition of McLeod House in Central Trinidad. Kernahan was clearly angry at the destruction of this iconic piece of Trinidad and Tobago’s architectural history and once the video started being shared around the site, it was obvious that many Trinidadians and Tobagonians both at home and in the diaspora were also angry at what was seen as wanton destruction of a national icon. Here are two comments from people on Facebook. “This is a pity. It was a landmark for me. I worked in a high school nearby and the students just loved telling stories about ghosts in the house etc as they were used to cutting acrosss the yard as a short cut. (Dat was a long time ago!) 

 

Truth be told, there aren’t too many structures left in Central of historical and architectural significance. This is really sad.” “I’s an absolute disgrace that this fantastic piece of Our history has been totally wiped off of our National landscape.. So wait our future generations don't have the right to enjoy these pieces of our History? WTF.. Happy Independence Then.. If it’s one thing the US & UK have taught me. They take a deep sense of respect and pride in their History. It’s what binds us as a people. Totally disgusted as you can clearly see.. So what going on the land? Apartments NUH?” In tomorrow’s Sunday Guardian, historian Angelo Bissessarsingh writes about the history of McLeod House, also known as Friendship Hall. 

 

Here’s an excerpt from Bissesarsingh’s essay states, “We live however, in a nation where all but a few place no value on the legacy of the ages. Friendship Hall fell into neglect and after nearly five decades of decay, was bulldozed into the ground to make way for concrete blasphemies which are a sad travesty of the Scotsman’s gift to his heirs. As appalling as this assault on our built heritage is to conceive, it is but a single chapter in a long history of annihilation which cannot be blamed on any one person or sector, since it is a reprehensible burden we must all bear as a people. The basic argument which may be proffered for the fate of Friendship Hall is that without legitimate state support, this is to be the future of many of our historic structures which exist in private hands which are either unappreciative of their significance or cannot afford to sustain them.”