07-25-2006 (Welfare Building [the Old Eye Hospital])

Welfare Building (the Old Eye Hospital), originally uploaded by pictureinfocus ~ On vacation in Barbados….

Welfare Building (the Old Eye Hospital)
Bay Street, Barbados

This partial structure you see can be found throughout the West Indies in some shape or form. I am speaking of old historic buildings either in a state of neglect or complete dilapidation.

I am of the belief that the government has more to gain in the total restoration or renovation of its heritage buildings. Like Ecotourism, government can profit from Heritage Tourism. Many of them can be turned into museums or restored and used as office space. The architecture of these Great Houses and Public Buildings are magnificent. Yet more and more of them are being destroyed to make way for modern structures. Now in some areas the architecture is out of sync and causing landscape to look a bit out of place.

The Barbados National Trust cannot be the only entity in the quest to regain and retain some of our history. Government has to step in and make contributions to the cause. Imagine, in 2016, most children may not be able to see the Old Welfare Building, or many of the other architectural structures which are sure to be bulldozed.