MORANT BAY, St Thomas — There are plans to transform the old Morant Bay Courthouse into a museum, and residents of the parish are being encouraged to donate suitable items for display.

The announcement was made by Mayor Hubert Williams (People’s National Party, White Horses Division) during this month’s meeting of the St Thomas Municipal Corporation.

The mayor said there have been discussions with the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund, which is integrally involved with the venture.

“They told us that the project should be completed in another 18 months… they gave us assurance that this is a sure thing,” said Williams.

He added that CHASE recently toured the venue.

The old Morant Bay Courthouse is steeped in history. It was the scene of the Morant Bay Rebellion of 1865 led by preacher Paul Bogle who is now one of Jamaica’s seven national heroes. Over the years it has also been used for meetings of the [then] St Thomas Parish Council as well as sittings of the Circuit Court in St Thomas.

It was destroyed by fire on February 19, 2007.

Williams, who seemed excited about the project, said he is looking forward to the transformation of the now derelict structure.

“CHASE is asking us to inform the public that they are accepting artefacts from residents that may be useful for display purposes in the museum,” he said.

The municipal corporation has assured the public that credit will be given to those who submit works of art in various forms to the new museum.