PHILIPSBURG--The once-overlooked cannon outside Bobby's Marina has been restored and now has as a companion a large anchor recovered from Great Bay during the dredging to construct the mega cruise ship pier some two years ago.
Both pieces are English, from the 18th century and probably were forged by slaves toiling in ironworks for the British Navy, according to Archaeologist Jay Haviser.
The anchor and cannon were placed on a pedestal just outside Bobby's Marina at the start of the Eastern end of the Great Bay beach promenade by a Windward Roads Infrastructure crane and crew, under the watchful eyes of Haviser and a sizable gathering of onlookers. The gathering included St. Maarten Archaeological Centre Simarc students, representatives of the Pointe Blanche Prison, heritage and nature groups.
"This is another small display about St. Maarten's history, its European history. However, even though it is European history, Africans were possibly involved in making the cannon and anchor in the ironworks in the 18th century," Haviser said.
He added that the display was a part of the country's history to visitors and hopefully "our own people will see some pride in our heritage. We have made the area alive again."
Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary Richard Panneflek represented the Cabinet at the placement ceremony and unveiled the plaque listing the organisations involved in the project. He unveiled the plaque in the absence of Culture Minister Rhoda Arrindell who was unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances.
The cannon pointing shore-side had sat on the pedestal for many years in a weathered wooden carriage. When the anchor was discovered in the bay Haviser and St. Maarten Museum Director Elsje Bosch were called in by authorities about its preservation.
Haviser and Simarc took up the restoration challenge and began the long process of carefully chiselling away some three centimetres of coral growth and submerging the anchor in a freshwater well on Emilio Wilson Estate, thanks to the cooperation of Henri Brookson. The freshwater process was to leech all the salt absorbed in the anchor to prevent later corrosion from the inside. A painstaking endeavour of applying special primer to the anchor by the Simarc team took several months.
Scouting for the perfect location to display this piece of St. Maarten's English heritage, Haviser spoke to the Bobby's Marina Group about restoring the cannon carriage and mounting the two nautical pieces together. This time the cannon would face out to the bay, reminiscent of its day of guarding the coastline or defending against enemy ships.
The carriage and anchor mount were constructed by inmates of the Pointe Blanche House of Detention through the cooperation of Foundation Judicial Institutes Windward Islands SJIB and funding from Antillean Co-Financing Organisation AMFO.
Gregory Thompson of SJIB said the carpentry work by the inmates was part of ongoing rehabilitation and positive skilling training. Inmates also are trained to be assistant barbers and to design websites. It is hoped that they will use these skills to lead law-abiding lives free of crime once out of prison.
While the cannon and anchor add another point of interest on St. Maarten's history and have created a backdrop for photographs and postcards, some onlookers voiced concerns about the pedestal becoming a collecting place for trash because no trash cans are close by.
