A HAUNTED house squats atop a hill above Yallahs, St. Thomas. Regrettably though, the Lady of the house who used to take her pleasure romping through the 430-year-old rooms trailed by her long, white dress, is quieter these days.
Sightings of Samantha, as she came to be called by renowned painter Barry Watson who owns the house (Orange Park) with his wife Dian, is not so common anymore. However, there was a time, said Mrs. Watson, when visitors, independent of each other and without prior knowledge of Samantha, described a woman in a chair rocking her baby.
Mrs. Watson believes she may be more at peace since the house was restored, following the wrath of Hurricane Gilbert, and blessed by a member of the clergy.
The Watsons believe Samantha perished in a fire that generations ago consumed the structure, believed to have been an overseer's living quarters during slavery.
The point of telling Samantha's story is this: Jamaica is more than just a pretty face. Beyond sun, sand and sea there are tales of love, lust, betrayal, tragedies and inspirational anecdotes of personal triumphs to entice a steady flood of visitors to our shores.
Samantha's story has been quietly kept within the 18-inch thick walls of Orange Park. There are endless others that are buried in more than 600 monuments and numerous heritage sites across the island. The walls and floors of St. James Cathedral, Spanish Town, which can trace its history back some 500 years, hold the bones and spirit of fascinating characters like Peter Beckford, one of the wealthiest men in West Indian history, and the first Custos of Kingston who owned 4,000 slaves.
Romantic ideas of divine retribution wrapped up in Port Royal, the one-time capital of sin which wallowed in glitter and debauchery until it was gulped (two-thirds) under the sea in 1692, are enough to entice many a tourist weary of sand and sea.
If we are really serious about our tourism industry, why are we keeping so silent about these cultural and historical gems? Today, for example, Spanish Town celebrates its 466th birthday as our page 2 feature yesterday recalled some of its historical richness but is anybody celebrating?
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner.
