Mary’s Fancy Estate sale
looming, preservation urged
CUL DE SAC--For one million dollars, historical Mary’s Fancy Estate can be in the hands of the people of St. Maarten, if government acts quickly. The estate, recently placed on the Monument List, has been up for sale for several years, but now a very interested buyer is close to sealing a deal that has conservationists and environmentalists very nervous.
Owner Elizabeth Reitz offered the estate for the same price to government a few years ago, but this was never acted upon. The interested purchaser apparently plans to create a tourist attraction that will channel in bus loads of cruise passengers to the estate. Efforts to reach Reitz and the interested purchaser to ascertain the status of the sale were not fruitful.
Mary’s Fancy, an important piece of the island’s history and patrimony, can be acquired for “pocket change,” said Rueben Thompson of St. Maarten Pride Foundation. Thompson, like other concerned activists, has feverishly lobbied for government to recognize Emilio Wilson Estate (EWE) as a monument.
Finding money to acquire the estate should not be too difficult for government, which has found “creative ways” to building the Festival Village that is only used for a short period every year, Thompson said.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the field of heritage and environment are interested in purchasing the estate, but are unable to raise the sale price. Thompson said several funding agencies have been approached to garner funds to get the estate, but none of these are willing supply funds unless the NGOs or government can make an input.
Preserving the estate and maintaining its historical and ecological value are of paramount importance to the heritage and environmental community. He urged government to follow the Eco-Vision and Hillside Zoning Plan recommendations to use Mary’s Fancy and EWE as the gateways to the island’s hilltop parks.
Instead of just allowing the sale to be finalized before the estate is securely and legally vested as a monument, government should act fast and buy it for the island’s people he said, suggesting that the main house be restored to reflect the authentic state. The house can be come a museum and visitors centre.
To keep the estate viable and self sufficient, single level eco- cottages or an eco-lodge could be built and rented to generate income, along with a restaurant. The environmental, heritage and other organizations could also have their offices on the estate.
The idea for the estate should be to increase awareness about the island’s past, but not to have it over run by tourists, Thompson said. “Mary’s Fancy is an important part of the cultural heritage of the island, the driving force of tourism. Visitors come here for more than the sun, sand and sea. They also want to experience the island’s nature and heritage.”
Huge Silk Cotton and Sandbox trees and other trees and plants not found elsewhere on the island are thriving on the estate, all of which are worth saving, Thompson pointed out.
Strengthening the call for preservation of the estate, Thompson encouraged corporate citizens to consider pooling resources to purchase the estate and put it in the hands of the island’s people for preservation.
The concerned groups have been making rounds to inform companies and interested businesspeople about the estate and the importance of preserving it. The hope is that these companies will look at their budgets and help with the purchase price.
Mary’s Fancy Estate’s main house, across from Emilio Wilson Estate, was used in the past for social gatherings between government and the public.
Research is being done in the Kadaster for any document that points to the graves of former plantation owners and their family members, whose graves on the estate have been forgotten over time, as well as other important facts about the property.
