THINGS THAT MATTER
“There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.” (Shakespeare: Julius Caesar, Act 4, Scene 3)
Wonderful things can happen when a golden opportunity meets an enlightened visionary. And this is especially so in several cases of wonderful historic sites in Barbados inspiring enlightened people with vision.
Many, if not most Barbadians suffer from the “New is Best” syndrome, and once the paint starts to peel or the roof begins to leak the cry is heard “knock it down”. Not so with some of our enlightened visionaries. Keith Melville saw the opportunity when two old ladies died and left Sunbury Plantation House unchanged for a century or more. Today his vision provides employment, entertainment for locals and visitors and “its name has gone abroad”. Similarly, when Colonel Cave died and St. Nicholas Abbey was up for sale, visionary architect Larry Warren saw the opportunity for creating the perfect sustainable sugar plantation historic site, from crushing his own cane to distilling a splendid St. Nicholas Abbey rum on the site of a unique Jacobean mansion. And when Paul Altman and his colleagues realised that the abandoned Jewish Synagogue might be demolished, his vision, fund-raising and hard work resulted in one of the most remarkable and inspiring historic visitor sites in our World Heritage Historic Bridgetown’s core.
Another such opportunity awaits a visionary – it’s the opportunity at Colleton Great House, just North of Port St. Charles. Our late Prime Minister David Thompson visited Colleton House after the death of its owner, the Australian geologist Frank Rickwood. He was so impressed by the opportunities it presented that he then brought Cabinet members with him, and it was determined that Government would acquire the property to create a world class Art Centre and Retreat for the Arts and Crafts. Unfortunately, his tragic illness took over, and although Prime Minister Stuart agreed with the proposal, as I understand it, the great recession had taken its toll and the plans collapsed.
What’s so special about Colleton House, that it would have “outstanding universal value”, to use the phrase that characterises UNESCO World Heritage sites? Well, it’s the history, the property, the mansion house and the art collection.
First, the history. Wealthy merchant, colonial adventurer and visionary coloniser of the Carolinas, Royalist and later Parliamentarian (supporter of Cromwell) in turn – this was Sir John Colleton, whose first plantation in Barbados was Colleton on the border of St. Lucy and St. Peter. He generously supported King Charles the First in the English Civil War, to the tune of some forty thousand pounds – many millions in today’s currency – and lost a goodly part of his fortune. By 1647 he saw the possibilities in Barbados, where Sir James Drax’s experiments in growing sugar were already reaping rewards, and he bought, sight unseen, a small plantation called The Ridges – overlooking the West Coast and Six Men’s Bay – and since called Colleton. By 1650 he took ship to Barbados, and played a major role in the Barbados branch of the Civil War – changing sides with great political skill! He returned to England in 1660, was knighted, and set about fulfilling his vision of settling the Carolinas, achieved in 1670 with the Anglo-Barbadian founding of Charleston.
By 1807 his descendants sold the St. Lucy plantation to Charles Cadogan. The original house of 1647 comprised “a hall, two parlours, kitchen and two chambers” – a modest and typical early residence of English plan, most probably of a central hallway and a room on each side. (This is the common design of most 17th century houses in Barbados and is the basic plan of the present mansion.) By the 1830s a substantial mansion was in place, in stately Regency style, with later expanded wings – all with Palladian symmetry: two stories of spacious living space over deep cellars.
Entering the gates of Colleton House brings you into another world. It’s an oasis of majestic trees, ancient architecture, art and sculpture, overlooking the sea at Six Men’s, which is within the range of cannon balls from the huge cannons on the edge of the cliff! A splendid statue of Mercury, the Romans’ winged messenger of the Gods, greets the guest from the front lawn.
The traditional circular drive leads to a handsome Palladian portico, with columns, a huge door and overhead fanlight. The grand front door opens into a central stair hall, which extends to a verandah at the rear, overlooking the sea. This is the old English house plan and is seen in the older, seventeenth and eighteenth century plantation houses of Barbados, such as Drax Hall, Canefield House and Wildey House. The reception rooms are furnished with European and Barbadian antiques and occasional chinoiserie, and both are filled with an eclectic collection of paintings, sculpture, glass and other objets d’art.
The drawing room is a virtual art gallery, filled with European and Oriental art. The dining room has a long dining table under a beautiful Galle glass chandelier, but every object in the room is a work of art. The glass cabinet in the Regency arch alcove displays almost a hundred pieces of fine art glass – collector items by Tiffany, Daum, Lalique and Galle. Mr. Rickwood also left a unique collection of paintings of black men and women in European art.
The later portions of the house – probably 19th century – are symmetrical extensions to the rear, on all floors, right and left – giving the house a distinctly Palladian footprint. And in addition to the art and sculpture is a large library of books and music.
Colleton House is set in seven acres of gardens, with mature trees and spectacular views to the sea, a large swimming pool, romantic garden benches, two massive cannons on the cliff, a guest cottage (a very early building, extended) and ruined slave quarters.
However, the piece de resistance is the beautiful stable complex in Regency period style – a real Treasure of Barbados, now filled with 170 treasures from the other side of the world – Papua New Guinea and African folk sculptures. Many of them were gifts from the people he worked with in Papua New Guinea, and came to know well. Everyone walking into this architectural gem, filled with so many fascinating treasures, is simply “blown away”! Colleton is indeed a place of great beauty, filled with beautiful works of art.
David Thompson’s vision was for the property to be linked with the University of the West Indies and the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination, to be used as an Art Centre and Retreat, where Barbadian students could have a living exposure to a wide range of artistic work of high quality, in an environment conducive to creativity. The spacious grounds could accommodate apartments both for visiting “artists in residence”, who would teach, and for tourist accommodation, making the project sustainable economically. And the connection with the Carolinas would help to link the centre with the vibrant Carolinas Heritage Corridor, and promote both an American and a global interest.
With our huge economic problems, the Thompson vision cannot be realised without a visionary to embrace this opportunity – a visionary with a generous heart and a true love for Barbados, a characteristic claimed by many multi-millionaires and billionaires with homes in Barbados. Is there another generous donor – a genuine Barbadophile – who will follow in the footsteps of Ronald Tree, or the philanthropist funding the Synagogue Block restoration, or the Maria Holder Memorial Trust, who will purchase and donate “The Colleton International Art Centre” to Barbados?
Interested persons should contact Garry Burke garry.burke@gmail.com or cell: +1 246 287 7072.
Professor Fraser is Past Dean of Medical Sciences, UWI and Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology. Website: profhenry fraser.com