The house at Blenheim, Hanover, which was built in the 1960s as a replica of the house in which National Hero Sir Alexander Bustamante was born. It was destroyed by fire yesterday. (Photo: JNHT)

BLENHEIM, Hanover - The house at Blenheim, Hanover, which was built in the 1960s as a replica of the house in which National Hero Sir Alexander Bustamante was born, was destroyed by fire yesterday.

The house, a national monument, caught fire from nearby burning bushes which raged out of control.

According to the Jamaica Labour Party's vice-chairman for Western Hanover, Donovan Hamilton, the bush fire started early yesterday morning and spread to the property where the house was located shortly after 3:00 in the afternoon.

Just two weeks ago, a ceremony commemorating the 121st anniversary of Sir Alexander's birth was held on the premises, with JLP leader Bruce Golding as guest speaker.

Yesterday, Golding described the incident as a major loss to the country. "I really am distressed," the JLP leader said. He said he would be contacting the Jamaica National Heritage Trust to see how quickly the house could be restored, as "it is an important and significant national heritage site".

Golding, in a statement yesterday, said that although the caretaker for the premises telephoned the fire brigade Wednesday night and informed them about the Blenheim bush fires it was not until yesterday afternoon that a fire unit arrived. But he said by that time the house was destroyed.

Sir Alexander Bustamante, Jamaica's first prime minister and founder of the Jamaica Labour Party and the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, officially retired from active politics in 1967. He died on August 6, 1977 at the age of 93.

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Death to the Mullet!