Contributed
Suitcase, riding shoes, top hat, water jug - some of the personal items of National Hero Sir Alexander Bustamante, which will form part of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust's exhibition at the house in Blenheim, Hanover, scheduled for an October reopening. Here JNHT Estate and Business Development Director, Gavern Tate, shows some of the pieces to (from left) Seraj Lakasing of the Bustamante Foundation, George Fyffe, general secretary of the BITU, Joan Andrea Hutchinson, director of communications at the trust, and Doric Gray, deputy technical director of archaeology.

The Jamaica National Heritage Trust is pulling out all the stops to meet its mid-October deadline for the reconstruction of the home of National Hero Sir Alexander Bustamante, at Blenheim.

The house, in the hills of Hanover, was destroyed by a bush fire in 2005 and is being reconstructed through financial support from the CHASE Fund. The house was also destroyed by fire in 1984.

According to JNHT's Director of Estate and Business Development, Gavern Tate, in an effort to maintain historical integrity, the house is being reconstructed using the original building plans.

Measures being implemented

He pointed out, however, that several measures were being implemented to shore up and safeguard the structure. The charred remains of at least one of the original columns will still be visible. The buttery will be reconstructed at a later date.

An upgraded version of the exhibition on the life and work of Bustamante will be mounted inside the house.

Plans for the exhibition include a short video on Busta's life and work, and voice excerpts of some of his more salient speeches. These are being executed with the assistance of the Jamaica Information Service.

Personal artefacts

Additionally, there are plans for a life-size representation of Bustamante, dressed in his trademark tailcoat and top hat. Other personal artefacts on display will include his water goblet, suitcase and boots.

The trust has been engaging in dialogue with the BITU, the Bustamante Foundation and the Blenheim community to ensure that their input is reflected in the rebirth of the Blenheim house.

Over the years, the Blenheim property has become a popular spot for school trips and tourist groups. The JNHT plans to develop the site into a full picnic park, with quotations of Bustamante at every turn, promoting reflections on our history.