NEVIS-HISTORY-Nevis Secures US$245,000 Grant For Heritage Projects

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – The Nevis Historical and Conservation Society (NHCS) has received a US$245,000 grant from the United States Embassy to support the restoration of Hamilton House and the development of heritage exhibits dedicated to Alexander Hamilton and civil rights lawyer Constance Baker Motley.

Left to right: Terysia Herbert, Executive Director & Secretary; Isabel Byron, President; Hazel Chiverton, Board member; Premier Mark Brantley; Karin Sullivan, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires; Deputy Governor General, Hyleeta Liburd; Maurisha Robinson, Vice President, Hope Trott – family that previously owned Hamilton House. (Photo credit: Nevis Tourism Authority)The grant was awarded through the US Embassy’s Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), according to an announcement by the Nevis Tourism Authority (NTA).

The funding will support the conservation of Hamilton House, the redevelopment of the Alexander Hamilton Museum and the creation of a permanent exhibit on Motley, who was born to Nevisian parents and became the first Black woman appointed to the United States federal judiciary.

Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, was born on Nevis. Motley became a prominent civil rights lawyer, helping to challenge racial segregation through the courts before her appointment to the federal bench.

Nevis Premier Mark Brantley said the investment would help preserve the island’s heritage and strengthen historical ties between Nevis and the United States.

“Hamilton House and the new Constance Baker Motley exhibit will deepen the bonds between Nevis and the United States, enrich the experience of every visitor to our island, and remind our young people of what Nevisians have achieved on the world stage,” he said.

Brantley also expressed gratitude to the US Embassy for the partnership.

The project will involve CyArk, a US-based non-profit organisation specialising in digital documentation of cultural heritage, which will lead the digital preservation and interpretation components.

Regional heritage and curation expert Raimie Richardson will help develop the Alexander Hamilton storyline, focusing on Hamilton’s Caribbean experience before he left for mainland North America.

The grant was formalised at a signing ceremony on the grounds of the Alexander Hamilton Museum. NHCS Executive Director Teresa Herbert and US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Karin Sullivan signed the grant documents.

Sullivan, Brantley and NHCS President Isabel Byron delivered remarks at the ceremony, while Herbert outlined the work planned under the project.

Hope Trott, representing the family that previously owned Hamilton House, also attended, alongside NHCS board members, partners and other stakeholders.

The project is expected to create opportunities for education, digital engagement, community participation and heritage tourism.