Prime Minister Perry Christie pledges to match dollars raised for historic site restoration and assistance during opening remarks at the first Historic Bahamas Foundation Fair, Trinkets and Treasures, at Collins House February 6. Pictured along with the Prime Minister l-r, Foundation Chairman Owen Bethel, Minister of Investments, Office of the Prime Minister, Acting Commander Royal Bahamas Defense Force Tellis Bethel, Fair Chair and Foundation Director Diane Phillips.

In an initial effort to link the past with the future, goods with goodwill, the first Historic Bahamas Foundation Fair drew hundreds to the grounds of Collins House February 6, raising nearly $15,000 with proceeds to various charities and restoration of stone steps at an historic site, The Hermitage in Cat Island.

“The Hermitage on Cat Island is one of the many manifestations of our rich history,” said Prime Minister Perry Christie who officially opened the event. “It is critically important that the Government of The Bahamas and NGOs like the Historic Bahamas Foundation work closely together to share that history, to preserve and to ensure that our young people appreciate their heritage and honour it.”

Historic Charles Towne founder Betsy Dingman chats with former American Embassy Charge d’Affaires John Ford in a booth she created to resemble an upscale rummage sale of fine furniture, books, artwork and accessories. Funds raised by that booth will be used for attractive trash cans along Delancey and neighbouring streets.

The Fair, called Trinkets & Treasures, was originally planned for November with proceeds to benefit participating organizations. A portion was to be set aside for modest repairs for Collins House.

“When Hurricane Joaquin hit The Bahamas, we quickly altered date and beneficiary,” said Owen Bethel, Foundation Chairman. The fair was postponed until February and the new goal was much more modest – restoring stone steps leading to The Hermitage on Mt. Alvernia, the highest point in The Bahamas at 206 feet above sea level.

Monty Knowles paint a Junkanoo nymph 2

The one thing that remained the same was location for the fair and for many, it was the first time they had attended an event on the estate that once stretched from Shirley Street all the way to Wulff Road.

As the Prime Minister strolled the grounds viewing everything from books to antique bicycles, listening to the sounds of Royal Bahamas Defense Force Rangers Band and the moving voices of Ambassador Chorale, it was hard not to feel the burden of the building originally set to benefit from proceeds. Collins House, built by prominent businessman and politician Ralph Collins shortly after the hurricane of 1929 destroyed the original house, the estate was purchased in 1950 by St. Andrews School. A few decades later, the government purchased it, further subdividing grand ballrooms and dining areas into small cubicles and offices to house the Ministry of Education.

Popcorn, burgers and a bouncing castle added to the atmosphere of the Trinkets & Treasures Fair but for these three friends just hanging out together on a Saturday afternoon while folks shopped to support charities was good enough.

On this Saturday, as the bands played, voices rang out, and the aroma of burgers from the Rotary van drove appetites, as artist Monty Knowles body-painted a young woman, transforming her into a Junkanoo Nymph, Collins House stood as an eerie backdrop, a reminder of history ignored, proud and begging all rolled into one. Its bones were strong, its façade fading, the glamour of its original beauty and classic lines competing against the reality of its recent neglect.

But even the need for the setting’s restoration could not dampen the spirit of the fair. And in the end, the funds raised will benefit causes as diverse as buying trash cans for Delancey Street (Historic Charles Towne) and supplying teachers for students with special needs at Gambier Primary and Adelaide (Blairwood Academy).

The online auction at auction.bahamaslocal.com will continue until midnight February 12.   

Members of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force Rangers band marched and played at the Historic Bahamas Fair, Trinkets & Treasures, February 6.

Young Ranger band member gets words of encouragement from Prime Minister Perry Christie during a drill at the Historic Bahamas Foundation Fair, Trinkets & Treasures, February 6.