Red House fragments up for 'adoption'

The National Trust (NT) will be parting with artefacts from the Red House at an event to be held at the corner of Scott and Newbold Streets in Clair Saturday afternoon from 4.30 pm.

Chair of the trust Margaret Mc Dowell said the Colombian engineers who are working on the restoration of the Red House couldn’t reuse some of the ornate ceiling decor from the parliament chambers, made of plaster of paris (circa 1907), so they crated the pieces and moulds and handed them over to the trust.

Mc Dowell said the National Trust had decided to keep some of the pieces, while some others have been set aside for the new parliamentary library, and today the rest will get new homes.

In a notice to heritage stakeholders, the trust said these artefacts presided over many important moments in the history of TT, and now they have the chance to own a piece of this history. It added the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity should not be missed, and invited artists and people who are deeply interested in history to today’s event.

The priceless collectibles are not really for sale but donations to the NT will be accepted as the funds will help the trust’s work of listing heritage sites and educating the public about the importance of TT’s heritage.

The artefacts include grapes, angel wings and a blind angelic creature holding two scales that Mc Dowell labelled "Lady Justice."

Graeme Suite, business development and marketing co-ordinator at the trust, said over 60 pieces will be available, and donations from $100-$250 will get new owners some of the smaller pieces. For the medium-size pieces new owners can make donations between $350 and $600, while the large pieces and moulds can be bought for $800-$1,200.