The National Monuments of Sierra Leone, in West Africa, are proclaimed in accordance with the Monuments and Relics Ordinance of 1947 with Dr Macormack Charles Farrell Easmon serving as the first chairman of the Monuments and Relics Commission.[1] Eighteen National Monuments have been proclaimed, although two have since been demolished.[2] Sierra Leone accepted the UNESCO World Heritage Convention in 2005, but is yet to nominate a site for inscription.[3][4] A three-year research project funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council in the late 2000s investigated the "object diaspora" of movable Sierra Leonean cultural properties in the context of European museums and has led to the creation of a digital resource relating to the country's cultural heritage.[5][6][7] The sites are maintained by the Sierra Leonean Monuments and Relics Commission, a branch of the country's Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

The two National Monuments that are no longer traceable were both in Freetown. They were a fireplace removed from a now demolished building and some military butts (shooting ranges).

Site Location Founded Proclaimed Location Description
Bunce IslandSierra Leone River17th century19488°34′9.86″N 13°2′24.84″W / 8.5694056°N 13.0402333°W / 8.5694056; -13.0402333Site of an 18th-century British slave castle on Bunce Island.
Heddle's FarmFreetown182019488°28′27.11″N 13°13′3.17″W / 8.4741972°N 13.2175472°W / 8.4741972; -13.2175472Prominent residence, now in ruins, that was owned by several notable colonial families.
De Ruyter StoneFreetown166419488°29′18.11″N 13°14′16.8″W / 8.4883639°N 13.238000°W / 8.4883639; -13.238000An inscribed rock left by Dutch Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, Freetown's oldest monument.
Bastions of Fort ThorntonFreetown180519498°29′3.12″N 13°14′0.78″W / 8.4842000°N 13.2335500°W / 8.4842000; -13.2335500Fortifications on Tower Hill
Earthworks and Live Stockade at MasakpaiduKono Districtc.180019498°50′49.48″N 11°1′9.43″W / 8.8470778°N 11.0192861°W / 8.8470778; -11.0192861An abandoned fortified village that was founded before the arrival of Europeans.
Gateway to the King’s YardFreetown181719498°29′18.85″N 13°14′18.73″W / 8.4885694°N 13.2385361°W / 8.4885694; -13.2385361Gateway through which ex-slaves entered the settlement of Freetown.
Ruins of John Newton’s House and slave barracoonsMoyamba District172519497°54′37.43″N 12°59′25.21″W / 7.9103972°N 12.9903361°W / 7.9103972; -12.9903361Site of the slaver settlement founded by John Newton.
Cleveland TombstoneMoyamba District17911950Near ShengeAn 18th century European gravestone.
Old Wharf Steps and Guard HouseFreetown1818–919538°29′20.13″N 13°14′15.80″W / 8.4889250°N 13.2377222°W / 8.4889250; -13.2377222Early 19th century stairs leading down to Government wharf.
Old city boundary gunsFreetownc.180019531# 8°28′59.90″N 13°12′46.07″W / 8.4833056°N 13.2127972°W / 8.4833056; -13.2127972
2# No longer visisble
3# 8°28′22.95″N 13°14′11.97″W / 8.4730417°N 13.2366583°W / 8.4730417; -13.2366583		Three 18th Century cannons that probably came from a condemned slave ship
Old Fourah Bay College buildingFreetown1845–819558°28′37.9″N 13°13′16.3″W / 8.477194°N 13.221194°W / 8.477194; -13.221194The 19th century four-storey building at Fourah Bay College developed into the first University College in Africa.
St. John's Maroon ChurchFreetown182019568°29′8.8″N 13°14′11.9″W / 8.485778°N 13.236639°W / 8.485778; -13.236639It is built from the ship timbers that brought the first Jamaican Maroons to Freetown.
St Charles' Church and King’s Yard wallRegen Village181619598°28′45.56″N 13°13′33.56″W / 8.4793222°N 13.2259889°W / 8.4793222; -13.2259889The oldest stone church in Sierra Leone and the third oldest in Africa.
Firing point and guns near Old WharfDublin, Banana Islands18th & 19th century19568°8′11.07″N 13°11′32.66″W / 8.1364083°N 13.1924056°W / 8.1364083; -13.1924056Early British fortifications against pirates that were established 80 years before Freetown.
Martello TowerFreetown180519618°29′15.51″N 13°14′7.70″W / 8.4876417°N 13.2354722°W / 8.4876417; -13.2354722Built to counter any threat from Napoleon.
Grave of Captain LendyKono District189319658°9′7.97″N 10°59′47.46″W / 8.1522139°N 10.9965167°W / 8.1522139; -10.9965167Burial site of a British officer who was accidentally killed during a conflict with the Wassoulou Empire.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Monuments and Relics Ordinance (1947)" (PDF). UNESCO. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  2. ↑ "National Monuments". SierraLeoneHeritage.org. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "States Parties – Sierra Leone". UNESCO. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "Tentative Lists – Sierra Leone". UNESCO. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "Exhibition: Reanimating Cultural Heritage in Sierra Leone". Arts and Humanities Research Council. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  6. ↑ Basu, Paul (2011). "Object Diasporas, Resourcing Communities: Sierra Leonean Collections in the Global Museumscape" (PDF). Museum Anthropology. American Anthropological Association. 34 (1): 28–42.
  7. ↑ "SierraLeoneHeritage.org – About". SierraLeoneHeritage.org. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.