Abaco’s early settlers weren’t interested in appearances. A house was a place where you survived the wind and the rain and the summer heat. You stored water beneath it and salt in boxes, and the kitchen was a separate building outside so the house wouldn’t burn down in case of fire. The house was usually turned away from the sea, its back to the sound of surf and blowing sand.
But the loyalist settlers who started arriving here in 1783 also came with ideas, brought from New England and colonial cities in the U.S., such as Charleston, SC. Charleston had been heavily influenced by the French and by English islanders sailing up from the Caribbean.
Once the fundamentals of survival were mastered in Abaco living, loyalist descendants began to adapt some of the old styles and designs they had brought to this unique island environment, using shipbuilding skills and techniques they had developed in this world of the sea.
Today in Abaco there are many modern designs, but generally the loyalist look has survived and been preserved in communities such as Hope Town, Guana Harbour, New Plymouth and Cherokee Sound. Many of the houses dating back 100 years or more have been restored or renovated.
In Hope Town golf carts are the main source of transportation, and most of the supplies for the area are brought in by barge each week. Only bicycles and walking are permitted in the main part of town. All the buildings that are built must adhere to Bahamian Architecture at the discretion of the Town Planning Board.
But the loyalist settlers who started arriving here in 1783 also came with ideas, brought from New England and colonial cities in the U.S., such as Charleston, SC. Charleston had been heavily influenced by the French and by English islanders sailing up from the Caribbean.
Once the fundamentals of survival were mastered in Abaco living, loyalist descendants began to adapt some of the old styles and designs they had brought to this unique island environment, using shipbuilding skills and techniques they had developed in this world of the sea.
Today in Abaco there are many modern designs, but generally the loyalist look has survived and been preserved in communities such as Hope Town, Guana Harbour, New Plymouth and Cherokee Sound. Many of the houses dating back 100 years or more have been restored or renovated.
In Hope Town golf carts are the main source of transportation, and most of the supplies for the area are brought in by barge each week. Only bicycles and walking are permitted in the main part of town. All the buildings that are built must adhere to Bahamian Architecture at the discretion of the Town Planning Board.
The delivery boat...a throw back to WWII. This same barge delivers to all of the out islands.
I forgot to add this video yesterday. It was taken from the lighthouse.
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