Museum of Antigua and Barbuda

This building that houses the museum was erected in 1747 as the court house. The market was removed from this location in order to construct this building.

The stones used to construct this building were mine at one of the eastern offshore islands which the principal of these islands are, Pole-cat Isle, Goat’s Isle, Guana Isle, Maiden’s Isle, Cochran’s Isle, and Long Island, and it is from some of these that the smooth yellowish free-stone, of which the Court-house was built. This free-stone is proved to be composed of carbonate of lime and oxyde of iron. It’s a nine mile journey by boat into St. John harbour.

Excerpt From Antigua and the Antiguans, Volume 1 (of 2) / A full account of the colony and its inhabitants from the time of the Caribs to the present day Mrs. Lanaghan This material may be protected by copyright.

“In order to raise funds to defray the expenses of its erection, the legislature obtained a loan of £800.00, from the executors of Samuel and Thomas Watkins; and Jonas Langford (a proprietor of Antigua, and whose estates still go by his name) lent £1200.00 which debts were to be paid off by levying a tax of 2s 6d per head upon all slaves in the island for six years.”

It is ironic that long before this building houses the museum many wrongs and rights were socially exhibited with sweet and bitter victory.