Caymanian Built Heritage as Endangered as Endemic Species

The Cayman Islands is a mecca for tourism, a financial services centre, and a place of unique heritage. But as progress and development continues, our Islands’ natural assets and distinct aesthetic are at risk, and we are faced with the task of saving them.

Caymanian traditional home styles include: The Wattle and Daub House, The Timber House (The Cabin), The Bungalow and The Manor. Over time, many have witnessed our changing landscape, and now, very few of these traditional homes remain throughout our districts. We are watching places of historical significance, nostalgia, and important cultural touchstones vanish before us.

PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE

The NTCI and Blue Iguana Conservation have done tremendous work bringing the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana back from the brink of extinction. The NTCI is now also working to preserve the few remaining traditional homes. It is currently the custodian
of 11 historic properties.

In 2023, the NTCI launched the Historic Preservation Fund to give individuals and organisations the means to make financial contributions specifically directed to preserving, protecting, and promoting Cayman’s built heritage.

HOW CAN WE PROTECT CAYMAN’S BUILT HERITAGE?

Constructing new buildings in the manner that was used traditionally is no longer feasible. The resources are in some cases increasingly rare, like Ironwood, or rightly protected like the coral used to make the wattle. But even a new structure created in
the same method as our traditional homes does not embody the story that Nurse Leila’s or Eldemire House does. This is why protecting these structures while they still stand is so important.

In 2023, the NTCI hosted a Heritage Lunch and Learn to reflect on the past, analyse current issues, and consider the way forward for Built Heritage Preservation. One idea discussed was to relocate historic homes in danger of demolition, as the NTCI assisted with when the Clayton Nixon House was relocated to Bodden Town in 2020 to prevent the destruction of the over 125-year-old house. However, this method is a last resort due to its difficulty, expense, and the loss of context from moving the structure to a new site.

The NTCI website has an inventory of traditional Caymanian homes and other built heritage on our Heritage Register for the public’s reference. Additionally, the NTCI has created a list of recommendations for the Government of the Cayman Islands that was proffered in 2022, as there is currently no legislation protecting Cayman’s built heritage. Remaining historic homes and structures are exceedingly rare. Their preservation is vital not only to maintain a connection to the past but also because they hold a record of traditional craftsmanship within them. However, the expense that goes into preserving these structures is considerable.

A COMMUNITY EFFORT IS NEEDED

Whenever a historic building is destroyed, there is a flurry of discussion about the need to protect it, but there needs to be a greater public interest before this point. The people of Cayman have succeeded at saving species like the Blue Iguana, and NTCI now needs the same support and generosity of the community to preserve our built heritage and historical properties.