National Trust says it wasn’t invited to consult on fate of Siegert House

The National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago says it was not invited to inspect or comment on alternative uses for the Siegert House property on number 12 Victoria Avenue, Port-of-Spain. The Trust said it could not even say if demolishing the over 125-year-old building was the only option.

Chairman of the Trust Margaret Mc Dowall said they deeply regret what has transpired at Seigert House and wanted the owners to know that it’s not too late to preserve part of Siegert House, especially since the building wasn’t totally demolished when Guardian Media visited on Monday.

“We wish to encourage the property owner that it is not too late to consult with the National Trust for our advice on how even symbolic representations of the original house can and should be included in any new designs,” Mc Dowall said in an emailed response to Guardian Media yesterday.

“We would have welcomed the chance to engage with the owner to understand their reasoning and explore options for preserving any remaining materials from the property,” Mc Dowall added.

The deed for the Victoria Avenue structure was registered in 1899 by Carlos, Alfredo, and Luis Siegert, who were the sons of the founder of Angostura Aromatic Bitters Dr Johann Siegert.

Mc Dowall said the Trust believes that this historically significant asset should have been preserved in some form, symbolic or otherwise, in future iterations of the use of the property.

She said through La Cantina Pizzeria which closed its doors in 2020 due to the pandemic the building had previously been an exemplary case of adaptive reuse.

“While we strive to recognise and List (legally protect) as many assets as possible, there are numerous assets to consider,” the chairman said.

There are 59 properties listed as Heritage Sites at the moment, and work is always in progress to continuously add more Mc Dowall said. She hoped the situation with Seigert House would serve as a catalyst for owners of historic properties to be open-minded to the commercial benefits to be derived from incorporating heritage preservation in development plans.

“We also encourage individuals and communities to use their platforms to raise awareness about these significant assets and their importance to our shared heritage,” she said.

The National Trust added that there were laws in place to bring heritage assets in Trinidad and Tobago under legal protection.

But, until the assets have been properly and legally processed, the protections do not take effect.

The National Trust said there were ways to preserve historic buildings and incentives such as the Ministry of Finance’s upcoming 150% tax incentive which can motivate owners to reconsider demolition.

It said even if demolition is unavoidable, the National Trust believes in preserving the memory of the building through methods such as photography, architectural drawings, and careful demolition to salvage historical elements.

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