Consultant Recommends Buildings’ Promotion as a Heritage Site

Archaeological material from a test pit in the Museum's Gaol

The recently uncovered graffiti makes the “Old Gaol” of “universal importance,” and ongoing conservation and research work has given the project its “credibility internationally.” This is the view of internationally recognised Historical Preservation Architect Patricia Green.

Miss Green said that the entire building, with the Old Gaol as its flagship, should be promoted internationally as having significant historic importance. The historic graffiti, she said, “places heightened associative values”, providing the Old Courts Building (the main building of the three) with a “superb candidate for international status.”

The National Museum will continue the research work of two current research and conservation consultants: Dr. Isabel Rigol is researching the historic importance of the building; Dr. Elisa Serrano is working on the conservation and presentation of the Old Gaol graffiti.

As part of her brief, Miss Green made environmental, construction and research recommendations on interventions for the handing over of the archaeological site by the end of October. Key among her recommendations is an “international interface component.” These short-, medium-, and long-term proposals address local, regional and international fund-raising, promotion, income-generating and public interface strategies.