Open Monuments days 2017

Open Monuments days 2017 (weather permitting)

In the weekend of 9 and 10 September, Saba will be joining the Open Monument Days which have been organized in the European Netherlands since 1987. Cooperation between Dutch Cultural Heritage Association Heemschut and the Dutch Museum Saba results for the second time in Open Monument weekend on Saba.

Monuments are considered an important element of tangible heritage, and include not only buildings but also, for instance, graveyards, archaeological sites and protected rural and village areas. Almost all traditional cottages have been built between 1840 and 1900 and in many cases the cooking places and ovens are still far older.

The target group for Saba’s Monuments Days will be as well as the local population also the tourist sector.

Saba’s built-up areas are considered of great importance, also in connection with the island’s application for a World Heritage nomination. These weekend’s Open Monument Days are also meant to draw attention to the need for preservation and to promote tourism.

A presentation on the characteristics and background of Saba’s traditional cottages, based on the study of Dr. Ir. Frans Brugman, will be presented at the Dutch Museum Saba in Windwardside on Saturday and on Sunday.

Thirty-minute lectures will start at 10:00 am on both days, to be followed by a walking tour through the area that, according to organizers, should be nominated as a protected historical area. The estimated 90-minutes tour will lead past a number of traditional cottages and the Anglican church.

One of the smallest and most primitive cottages is likely to be opened to the public by its owner. Interior designer Judy Bobel and president of the Foundation Dutch Museum Saba will be giving explanations during the tour in that small cottage.
The tour also includes the grounds of Harry L. Johnson Museum, which resembles a romantic English garden, but in fact, was designed by a German garden architect.

At Harry L. Johnson Museum, which is normally closed during the weekends, mr. Jan Teeuwen, a former architectural adviser from Curaçao with an extensive knowledge of historical buildings and  experience in restaurations, will provide information about what once was one of the more luxurious cottages on Saba. He will also guide you to and in the Anglican Church, dated from 1887.

The tour ends near the traditional cottage of the Trailshop that has a recently restored roof with traditional shingles and afterwards you can enjoy nice lunches nearby at Bizzy B Bakery, The Hideaway, Saba Snack or Scout’s Place, or Tropics Café.

Info: René Caderius van Veen, Conservator of Foundation Dutch Museum Saba.
conservator@museum-saba.com, phone: 416 5856