Jamaica Historical Trail Attraction
This proposed project is seeking to package Jamaica’s colourful history and heritage in miniature form in an exciting Interpretive Attraction being described as “The Jamaican Historical Trail” The venue for this innovative concept will be at the Day-O Plantation Restaurant & Bar in Montego Bay.
This concept will showcase an interpretive trail of Jamaica’s development since Columbus’ landing in 1494 through to recent times and will depicted in miniature on 1 1/2 acres of land covered with lush, tropical vegetation. The Jamaican Historical Trail concept was inspired from the world famous Dutch miniature attraction MADURODAM in Holland. Much Historical research has gone into the design of each individual thematic display.
Depicted examples of buildings, villages, plantations, mining, and tourism developments will be represented in miniature, arranged in their historical sequence. These include:
• An Arawak Village
• Architecture of Spanish Town
• Port Royal
• A Sugar Factory
• Jamaican National Heroes Prime Ministers and world reknown artistes and athletes
• Jamaican People (ethic groups; their origins and current activities)
• A Maroon Village
• King’s House
• A Beach Resort
• Bauxite Mining |
This representation is a fishing village at the mouth of a river near Discovery bay. The two historical assets depicted are the Arawak Village and the landing of Columbus in Jamaica in 1494. Near the mouth of the river the village is located with the miniatures of the Arawak huts and fishing boats. Daily life involved cooking, washing, cutting wood and working in canoes.
Spanish Town was the capital of the island during the Spanish occupation. Today their buildings boast fine architectural designs from that era. The miniature scene depicts the most beautiful building of Spanish Town. The gardening needs special attention with much emphasis being placed on the typical paved parks, hedges and fountains of that era. The miniature must be illuminated from the inside. On the wall a beautiful scene
Depicting Jamaica’s rugged but beautiful mountainous landscape will be the backdrop.
In the sixteenth century Port Royal was home to the pirate ships and Buccaneers. It is located at the tip of the finger-like peninsula stretching to the entrance of Kingston harbour. The miniatures must be representing Fort Charles of Port Royal and the harbour with two or three pirate ships. Between the miniature and the wall a small bay must be constructed representing Kingston Harbour.
Sugar plantations with the sugar factories particularly represent the total unequal distribution of land between the European owners/managers and the African workers as slaves during the British occupation. The miniatures must represent not only the factory itself but also the additional buildings such as
those for book-keeping/administrations and the staff houses. A very important part of the sugar processing was the cutting of the sugar cane.
Maroon Village was the settlement of the Maroons, escaped slaves during the Spanish and British colonization. They fled into the mountainous areas as far as possible and settled mostly on the inaccessible, marginal hillside lands; the fertility of the soil in these areas is poor. Some of these villages still exist and can be visited. The miniatures must represent the layout of such a village, including the church, houses, a bar and some farming. The village is built around an access road stretching from the valley up to the mountain.
Kings House was the house of the Governor of Jamaica. The architecture of the House represents the British colonial style; it has been built in the nineteenth century. The miniature needs to be placed in the center of the exhibition with the surroundings carefully detailed with the flowers and low shrubs with a small fountain and a pond behind the building.
Presently the bauxite industry is one of the main industries in Jamaica. Therefore it has to represent the industry as it exists today. The miniature must show all the mining activities, excavators, means of transporting the bauxite ore and the processing facilities.
A Gallery of the Jamaican National heroes and Prime Ministers (animated characters/dolls) will also form part of the display. These mechanical dolls will be making speeches or be involved in some activity associated with their contribution to Jamaica’s rich history. 
Track and Field, Football [Soccer], Cricket or Bobsledding, Jamaican Atheletes have excelled in sports time and again… HUGE TALENT from a little island!
In Jamaica tourism is the primary foreign exchange earner. Tourists resorts have been developed all around the island, especially on the North Coast which has white sand beaches. The Hinterlands have cultural, historical and unique natural attractions.