The Dutch Reformed Church and tower with the balcony lying on the ground to the right.
ST. EUSTATIUS--Government Commissioner Marcolino “Mike” Franco signed the contract for the reconstruction of the Dutch Reformed Church tower with Rainbow Construction on Wednesday.
Rainbow is a locally-owned construction company with vast experience in woodwork. Funding for this project was made available by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations and falls under the joint supervision of the Directorate of Economy and Infrastructure and the Reconstruction Programme St. Eustatius 2017-2019 that was responsible for the execution of the housing recovery project after Hurricanes Irma and Maria. When completed, the Dutch Reformed Church will once again be made accessible to the public and visitors.
The project involves extensive repairs to the 3-story tower of this historical building situated in the heart of Oranjestad. The wooden staircase, shutters and balcony will be restored. The electricity will also be upgraded. The reconstruction work commences immediately and is scheduled to be completed by mid-2019.
The experts of St. Eustatius Monuments and Historical Foundations were consulted to preserve key historical features of the structure.
The Dutch Reformed Church tower was built in 1755 and is the tallest building in Statia. The north and west walls of the tower were plastered white to serve as a beacon for those at sea.
It is one of the most ecumenical buildings of the island. This tourist attraction is used to host weddings, ecumenical services and exhibitions and is also a popular location for photo shoots.
The last restoration of the Dutch Reformed Church was in 1980. Then Queen Beatrix signed her name on the first stone that was laid for the restoration on November 6, 1980.
