Dear Editor,

A few years ago, this building used to be a vibrant commercial entity that once housed a dry cleaning establishment. Over time, things have changed. For many months it brandished a ‘for sale’ sign, however, to date there seems to have been no takers.

A major consideration, from the point of view of prospective buyers, could be challenges related to parking in the Embassy of the United States firmly establishing itself as a stakeholder on the historic Hope Lands in St Andrew.

This development represents one of the latest sagas of the changing dynamics that continue to impact the Hope landscape. After all, this region has made a name for itself in terms of changing land use and the corresponding imprints left behind in the form of physical infrastructure and larger than life artefacts.

There was a time when the Hope Farm School, later the Jamaica School of Agriculture (JSA), dominated Hope. The sights and sounds of young men milking cows and supplying the government institutions have long gone and Hope now represents a multiplicity of housing developments, educational institutions and a commercial centre.

One of the lessons we can take from history is, from challenges arise opportunities. It is evident that attempts are being to vandalise the building. Intervention is required to save this building. Already, persons waiting on the outskirts of the embassy are illustrating the need for the building to be used as a possible rest stop. The design of the building could easily be retrofitted to provide physical rest for embassy visitors.

If sale of the property is an issue, could the owners consider a lease arrangement as a possibility — perhaps to some government agency, such as the police for a possible checkpoint? The feasibility of the latter might come into question, however, given the close proximity of the Matilda’s Corner Police Station.

Undoubtedly, there may be other viable alternatives, and it is hoped that more knowledgeable readers may come forward with these, in an effort to rescue this landmark.

Joan Francis

Museum and Heritage Preservation Officer

University of Technology, Jamaica