Historically Accurate Reconstruction of Original 1780 Great House Is A Spectacular Showpiece For the Birthplace of Democracy.
At the end of a quiet, mango and mahogany tree-shaded road in Savannah, Grand Cayman, high atop a limestone bluff, lies one of the Caribbean's most spectacular historic restorations, the Pedro St. James Historic Site. After seven years and a $7.5 million transformation, the Cayman Islands government has created the country's most ambitious heritage attraction to date and its first national landmark.
Today, it is a site whose grandeur is befitting of its importance as the Birthplace of Democracy in the Cayman Islands
Historically accurate restoration of the original plantation great house, representative of the period between 1820 and 1840
Historically accurate restoration of the original plantation great house, representative of the period between 1820 and 1840
A 49-seat state of the art multimedia theater featuring a 20-minute video presentation on Pedro St. James and highlights of 200 years of Cayman history
Landscaped Grounds, with native trees and plants, as well as traditional medicinal and vegetable gardens representative of a small early 19th century West Indian plantation.
an early 20th century Caymanian-style cottage
Steadman Bodden house, a restored traditional 100-year-old Caymanian wattle and daub home
Pedro St. James Historic Site is located in Savannah, Grand Cayman and is open 8:30-5:00 daily. The multi-media show starts on the hour from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Admission is US$8.00. Children under 6 are free and children 6 to 12 years old pay US$4.00.
For information, contact: ph: (345) 947-3329. Also visit us on the web at www.pedrostjames.ky.
Pedro St. James
Pedro St. James after years of neglect
Pedro St. James (or sometimes improperly referred to as Pedro's Castle) is the name of a building on the southern coastline of the island of Grand Cayman. It was built in 1780 by William Eden. The building was reduced to ruin after decades of neglect but has been completely restored.
The building is known as being the birthplace of democracy on the Cayman Islands, because it was at the building, in 1831, that the decision was made to vote for elected representatives, and four years later, in 1835, the Slavery Abolition Act was read from the stone archway of the building. It is also distinguished as the oldest building on the islands.
There is now a Hurricane Ivan Memorial at Castle Pedro St James, tool From the 'living hostory' museum's website:
Come and experience “Living History”!
Certainly the historic events of the 18th and 19th centuries draw most visitors to this site. But destiny-shaping history doesn’t always reside in the recesses of the distant past.
The Hurricane Ivan Memorial uses text, images, and symbols to represent important aspects of the natural disaster that visited the Cayman Islands on the 12th of September, 2004.
Hurricane Ivan, a category 5 hurricane, struck the Cayman Islands and caused horrific devastation throughout the Islands and to Pedro St. James. The Great House, Theatre, Café, and vegetation were extensively damaged. The cost to repair Pedro St. James was estimated at CI$1.4 Million.
The restoration of this national historic site was completed in May 2006,
when it was reopened for visitors. Mr. Gilbert Connolly, CEO of the Tourism Attraction Board which oversees the management of Pedro St. James, created the Hurricane Ivan Memorial to reflect the following symbolism:
The circle is symbolic of the resilience and resolve of the Caymanian People to unite and rebuild their country following the hurricane.
<LI style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">The twelve (12) stones in the circle represent the date of September 12th, the day the hurricane struck. The stones were washed ashore by the hurricane and were responsible for causing some damage to property.
The nine (9) seats represent September, the 9th month of the year. The seats are made from the trunk of a tamarind tree that had been located on the property, but was blown down during the hurricane. The tree was estimated to have been over 100 years old.
The four (4) tables represent the year 2004 and were made from the same tamarind tree.
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