Government members with Governor Julia Crouch (front row, right) outside the Old Court House.
ANGUILLA--The Executive Council (ExCo) met at the Old Court House on Thursday, May 29, marking 300 years of Anguilla’s local governance, and a fitting tribute to Anguilla’s strength, pride and resili-ence on the eve of Anguilla Day.
Records of the Executive Council Meetings in 1819 indicate that the building was used as the seat of the Council since the early 1700s. ExCo records in 1825 refer to a major expansion of the building funded by salt revenues. It was this expansion 200 years ago which reflects the architectural aspects of the building as it is today.
Situated on top of Crocus Hill, the Old Court House has served many functions, including being the seat of the Anguilla Council in the early 1700s, the Court House, Post Office and Treasury. The building also held prisoners in the cells on the lower floor. In 1796, when French invaders held prisoners of war in the Old Court House, brave Anguillians rose up after discovering the torture of an elder from Wallblake House.
Though abandoned after the devastating winds of Hurricane Alice in January 1955, the building was used only as emergency shelter during subsequent storms. As can be seen today, however, the Old Court House has been beautifully restored, reflecting its rich past as a place where ancestors made decisions that shaped the Anguilla we know today. The restoration took place from 2020 to 2023 and was totally financed by Michael Taylor and his wife, who are US nationals and part-time residents of Anguilla for over 30 years. They are now “belongers” of Anguilla and wanted the Court House to be restored and available for residents and visitors to visit.
Plans are well under way to have the Old Court House become a museum allowing Anguillians and visitors alike to learn more about Anguilla’s history. It will house many of the artefacts from Colville Petty’s museum that has now closed, as well as other artefacts stored for years by the Anguilla Ar-chaeological and Historical Society.
