Come October, the archaeological treasure trove of Port Royal will become home to Jamaica’s newest museum, with an immersive experience tracing 500 years of the country’s history.
The two-storey building, which is still under construction, is situated next door to the Port Royal Cruise Terminal.
As it prepares to host history, personality is being cemented in its development as pieces of the Port of Kingston have been incorporated in the structure’s frame.
Gary Lawrence, Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) senior vice president of engineering and port development, told The Gleaner that the Port Royal Museum is being constructed as part of the $1.8-billion development of the terminal.
The contract was awarded to ZDA Construction and Phase One was completed for the terminal to welcome its first cruise ship, Marella Discovery 2, in January 2020.
Lawrence said that once construction is completed, the museum operators will do a build-out of the internal spaces.
PAJ vice-president of cruise shipping and marina operations, William Tatham, said visitors can expect a walk through Jamaica’s history.
“It’s going to start with the Tainos, who were actually here in Port Royal back in that period of time, and carry us all the way up to modern day. It’s immersive, so, for example, there’s going to be an experience where it’s going to be a replication of Lime Street as it was back in the 1700s where visitors will be able to walk through, hear the noises and smell the smells,” Tatham said in a Gleaner interview.
He said other sections will depict the Middle Passage and the Naval Dockyard, as Jamaica was a major base for the British for a number of years.
On June 7, 1692, Port Royal was destroyed by an earthquake. A large portion of the town sank into the sea, while about two-fifths of the population died either in the earthquake or in the plagues that followed.
Tatham said over 2,500 artefacts that were retrieved from the sunken city will be in rotation in the museum.
“We actually see this museum as being the start of more. There are so much more stories to be told, and this is in a sense an introduction, and I think that once the local population gets a taste of this, they are going to want to come back and see more,” he said.
“I think it opens up opportunities for developing more museum experiences, say over the Old Naval Hospital. We have already done one at Fort Charles, which still has some more work to be done, but between those two, it’s going to become a real powerful anchor.”
Tatham said that the PAJ has begun promoting the “incredible historic” location to cruise shipping lines, akin to Pompeii in southern Italy.
He said the cruise lines have been targeting affluent and educated passengers who are seeking historical experiences.
Tatham added that foreign museums have been generous in providing information and advice and it is possible that loaned Spanish artefacts will be displayed at Port Royal Museum.
The second floor of the museum will have an eatery and a small outdoor play area for children is also being explored.
PAJ president and CEO, Professor Gordon Shirley, said that the museum is an important element in the overall redevelopment of Port Royal.
He said the intention is to have a very special port, one that is quite unlike any other in the Caribbean - by virtue of both its rich archaeological history and its mangrove environment.
Shirley said Port Royal traces the history of Jamaica and had its glory days before Kingston and Spanish Town.
“We thought of various locations within the town, but eventually, for a variety of reasons, we decided to have it immediately on the terminal,” he said.
“It’s going to be able to tell a rich story and because we are a maritime organisation, you can anticipate that some of it is going to be maritime oriented, and we think that will be interesting not just for mariners but the entire population,” Shirley said.
Shirley told The Gleaner that he hopes the restaurant will offer a special experience, partly because of the view of the natural environment. Integrating Port Royal’s residents and business interests in the museum’s prospects is also an ambition of the organisers, he said.
Commercial considerations for the viewing of artefacts are yet to be finalised as operations are expected to be outsourced.
“We are looking forward eagerly to getting the reaction of Jamaicans to this additional aspect. We are hoping that Port Royal will be not just a terminal but a space where Jamaicans can be educated, and they and their families can enjoy themselves,” Shirley remarked.