tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84567411461246117672024-02-06T18:02:26.050-08:00The House That Freedom BuiltThis blog doubles as the production blog for the documentary film "The House That FREEDOM Built" and a renovation blog on the process of fixing this historic 18th century property.
La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-47218122285104273412015-07-12T09:51:00.000-07:002015-07-12T09:51:23.525-07:00We were featured in the St. Croix Source!<div class="print-logo" style="font-family: sans-serif;">
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Published on <em>St. Croix Source</em> <a href="http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2015/07/04/local-artist-previews-forthcoming-documentary-emancipation-day" target="_blank">(http://stcroixsource.com)</a></div>
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Local Artist Previews Forthcoming Documentary for Emancipation Day</h1>
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<a href="http://stcroixsource.com/files/userfiles/image/0%202015%20photos/07%20July%202015/La%20Vaughn%20Belle.jpg" rel="lightbox[original_image]" style="color: black;"><img align="left" alt="Artist La Vaughn Belle works to restore her vernacular cottage turned artist's studio at 18B East Street. (Image provided by La Vaughn Belle)" border="1" src="http://stcroixsource.com/files/resize/userfiles/image/0%202015%20photos/07%20July%202015/La%20Vaughn%20Belle-193x290.jpg" height="290" hspace="8" style="border: 0px;" title="Artist La Vaughn Belle works to restore her vernacular cottage turned artist's studio at 18B East Street. (Image provided by La Vaughn Belle)" vspace="4" width="193" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Published July 4, 2015</span><br />
By David Knight Jr.<br />
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An Emancipation Day preview screening of St. Croix artist La Vaughn Belle's forthcoming documentary "The House that Freedom Built" drew more than 50 people Friday to the Free Gut neighborhood of Christiansted.<br />
The preview consisted of a rough cut of the first nine minutes of Belle's hourlong film, which is in the editing process.<br />
The documentary, which Belle began shortly after purchasing two small vernacular cottages at 18B East Street in 2011, follows her efforts to restore and repurpose the property as an artist's studio while uncovering its history and that of the surrounding neighborhood of Free Gut.<br />
Free Gut, explained Belle, is the area of Christiansted where free people of African descent lived during the Danish colonial period. She said that once she began to learn more about the history of the community, what once was a simple desire for an artist's studio became something much more.<br />
"This was in some ways a spiritual project for me," Belle said. "I felt a sort of calling to do it. Someone said to me, 'it feels like this house has a soul' and I felt that same way when I started the project."<br />
Belle said the many hours of footage and interviews she has shot for the project follow three main narrative threads she is now attempting to weave together in post-production.<br />
"The first thread is uncovering the histories of all the people who lived in the house or owned the property," said Belle.<br />
She said researching the stories of the houses' occupants and owners with the help of local historians has been an incredibly illuminating and affirming project.<br />
<a href="http://stcroixsource.com/files/userfiles/image/0%202015%20photos/07%20July%202015/18B%20East%20Street.jpg" rel="lightbox[original_image]" style="color: black;"><img align="right" alt="The property at 18B East Street in Free Gut that is the subject of 'The House That Freedom Built.' (Image provided by La Vaughn Belle)" border="1" src="http://stcroixsource.com/files/resize/userfiles/image/0%202015%20photos/07%20July%202015/18B%20East%20Street-240x180.jpg" height="180" hspace="8" style="border: 0px;" title="The property at 18B East Street in Free Gut that is the subject of 'The House That Freedom Built.' (Image provided by La Vaughn Belle)" vspace="4" width="240" /></a><span class="print-footnote" style="font-size: xx-small;">[2]</span>The first registered owner of 18B East Street, said Belle, was a woman named Elizabeth Abraham, who was born in the area of West Africa known today as Benin. Abraham, she said, purchased her son's freedom before eventually purchasing her own and settling in Free Gut in the late 1700s.<br />
"It's amazing when you think about the tenacity, the will of this woman, who was born in Africa, survived the middle passage, survived enslavement, and was able to transition herself into a new sort of life as a free person on St. Croix," said Belle.<br />
Another owner of the property, said Belle, was James C. Canegata, the father of David C. Canegata for whom the Christiansted ball field is named. 18B East Street was one of 11 properties Canegata owned in the area.<br />
"He was this really interesting character who was able to amass his wealth during a time shortly after emancipation, when the status and positioning of the free black community was sort of in flux, when there were massive migrations of formerly enslaved people into the town, and there were outbreaks of cholera in Free Gut."<br />
Belle said the second narrative thread of the documentary consists of her own process of restoring the building as the most recent owner, which included everything from replacing the roof to installing plumbing.<br />
"Money is everyone's greatest obstacle, second to will. You have to have the will; you have to want to do it. But then you need the resources," she said.<br />
Belle said the third narrative thread of "The House Freedom Built" is tying everything she's learned about preservation and history into the context of the contemporary community and the struggles, and options, of owners of historic properties in V.I. towns.<br />
"The questions now are 'what's the next step?' 'What kind of note should I close the film on: inspirational, realistic, questioning?' 'How critical do I want to be, and how can criticism help to inspire?'"<br />
Belle said if she hadn't learned more about her property, she never would have become an outspoken advocate for the preservation of vernacular buildings in Free Gut. She became so passionate that she even testified before the Legislature about the issue in 2012.<br />
"If that process happened for me, it can happen for other people too," Belle said. The goal now, she said, is to make information about preservation and restoration accessible to the community.<br />
She said that the idea behind hosting a preview screening as an Emancipation Day event was to "expand, not conflict with" other festivities and commemorations held on St. Croix on the same day.<br />
"I think what they do in Frederiksted [for Emancipation Day] is great. But there should be hundreds of things going on, just like there are hundreds of things going on 24 hours later for the 4th of July. People should be able to be engaged in all aspects of Emancipation Day."<br />
"The people who lived in Free Gut were people who had found other ways out of enslavement, before those who fought for it in 1848," said Belle. "But they're still a part of emancipation, that desire for freedom. And even though they were free people before Emancipation Day, that freedom was contested; there were all sorts of restrictions on it."<br />
Belle said she hopes to finish editing the documentary by the end of the summer and release a completed version by Oct. 1. Since 2011, she has kept a blog about "The House That Freedom Built," where those interested can learn more about the project: <a href="http://thehousethatfreedombuilt.blogspot.com/" style="color: black;" title="http://thehousethatfreedombuilt.blogspot.com/">http://thehousethatfreedombuilt.blogspot.com/</a> <span class="print-footnote" style="font-size: xx-small;">[3]</span><br />
Belle was able to get $8,000 in grant money from the V.I. Humanities Council for the project, in addition to an additional $15,000 from two University of the Virgin Islands Cultural Awards Grants that she applied for in 2012 and 2014.<br />
<strong><em>Editor's note:</em></strong><em> This story has been updated to correct a mistatement about funding. The Source regrets the error.</em><br />
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<strong>Source URL:</strong> <a href="http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2015/07/04/local-artist-previews-forthcoming-documentary-emancipation-day" style="color: black;">http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2015/07/04/local-artist-previews-forthcoming-documentary-emancipation-day</a></div>
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<strong>Links:</strong><br />
[1] http://stcroixsource.com/files/userfiles/image/0 2015 photos/07 July 2015/La Vaughn Belle.jpg<br />
[2] http://stcroixsource.com/files/userfiles/image/0 2015 photos/07 July 2015/18B East Street.jpg<br />
[3] http://thehousethatfreedombuilt.blogspot.com/</div>
La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-1739123359987175722015-07-12T09:44:00.001-07:002015-07-12T09:51:15.180-07:00How did the Open Studio go?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqAuxuEmQeRutN4dH64Os_h8yP9yAF6QOtOP4mdQYemZAveC8v2A1asxDuDId7GuAJBC2dChMCnppaY3v79E4uF1qIFdfHatxIoW36Rlx7fSdFipqYcukqFzk93E2AZ7p8A_B8BKZTnE/s1600/11694093_10153498447515956_905424282_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqAuxuEmQeRutN4dH64Os_h8yP9yAF6QOtOP4mdQYemZAveC8v2A1asxDuDId7GuAJBC2dChMCnppaY3v79E4uF1qIFdfHatxIoW36Rlx7fSdFipqYcukqFzk93E2AZ7p8A_B8BKZTnE/s320/11694093_10153498447515956_905424282_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's been just over a week since I had the first public event at my spot. I was very tired trying to get both final details on the building complete and finish some new artwork to display. I had to come to the realization that there will probably be "final details" for a very long time. In a historic building there is always, caulking, and painting and weeding, or something to do. Over 50 plus people came out on July 3! And it felt grrrreaat! I was very happy because there were all sorts of people: 2 commissioners came, neighbors came, art people came, non art people came, children, people who had heard me talk on the radio, all kinds of people. And from people's reactions to the space and the history and the first 9 minutes of the documentary I realized something: I need to get as many people to see this space physically and hear this story as I possibly can. It is a powerful story. It is inspiring.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSprH1oUSDOleRqVCAt6vmLmLjynTXmxDurosYCHcJpvYQuzjNF6436v8W7150fkrBLxyMGp3TD3lkFGslch5xHKs6cZLthKFzlTzMd5BPVcMG7aQO8JNrZ5RIH7OTWxL9WDzLGYpjJCE/s1600/11121119_10153498447495956_358225716_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSprH1oUSDOleRqVCAt6vmLmLjynTXmxDurosYCHcJpvYQuzjNF6436v8W7150fkrBLxyMGp3TD3lkFGslch5xHKs6cZLthKFzlTzMd5BPVcMG7aQO8JNrZ5RIH7OTWxL9WDzLGYpjJCE/s320/11121119_10153498447495956_358225716_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I plan on getting senators into my space, and hopefully the governor. YOU are invited, just call or contact me and set up to a time to come by. I'm currently working on developing a tour of Free Gut and of course still editing the documentary. This summer is the new editing goal to have a rough draft complete. I'll be positing the first 9 minutes as soon as I get some permissions clear on some music that I am using. And will also be starting a crowd-source funding campaign to get to the finish line! This has been a fun journey. Glad you have been coming along for the ride. :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jF89jjGKWg8Cp4inxI7hsnb5UzwlETuF8l53hm4gqH4UU4RcnsIZgcHvE8N-fo2fhh_IVdeZnIQG15Jq0tuK0h79jL-m_OnoBaR3S161Uq2M_6rv7pVtxJTkN_mLa5jeXW4eZVaBp-w/s1600/IMG_6394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jF89jjGKWg8Cp4inxI7hsnb5UzwlETuF8l53hm4gqH4UU4RcnsIZgcHvE8N-fo2fhh_IVdeZnIQG15Jq0tuK0h79jL-m_OnoBaR3S161Uq2M_6rv7pVtxJTkN_mLa5jeXW4eZVaBp-w/s320/IMG_6394.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-69597080924958864642015-06-02T20:39:00.000-07:002015-06-02T20:39:04.129-07:00OPEN STUDIO: Friday, July 3, 2015 4-7pm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Finally!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The first public event at my studio. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You are all invited to come out!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I will be showing some new work, an excerpt from the forthcoming documentary, and in general celebrating the completion for the first stage of this renovation. Hope to see you there!!! </span></div>
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdcATb0vWpFuIA-Nug14tORJJJiJhrd62O_gfb-L7jnRcNSR5MITIUk0WjjOMkcSPU8bKgb5mgUbu_V4H3reaGNeomR3EvSt-F2JJ4eDCGNL2YEDqJEou0kOzOFO6vcImm5Z1peS56HE/s640/Open+Studio_La+Vaughn+Belle_July+3.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<br />La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-6442875687592674622015-06-02T20:14:00.001-07:002015-06-02T20:16:48.700-07:00Exterior Update: Amazing what some paint, dirt and stone can do<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3X1LJIXh-esbMuEQHOwE_6HDV9ux-9Xz-GHyk5-KLa6QHwsUe6wYK_QOObzfebA6s8tevLLO_JqScnFtf-8VAxrhGapimnTSG86axL96epidw6TH4xc_lDhBcnCXTATa2RC64QC-34g/s1600/IMG_5911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3X1LJIXh-esbMuEQHOwE_6HDV9ux-9Xz-GHyk5-KLa6QHwsUe6wYK_QOObzfebA6s8tevLLO_JqScnFtf-8VAxrhGapimnTSG86axL96epidw6TH4xc_lDhBcnCXTATa2RC64QC-34g/s400/IMG_5911.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, the driveway is complete. I last wrote about feeling frustrated with the fact that I bought this property in 2011, but the outside changes were minimal compared to what we completed on the inside. Driving up gave me a feeling of distress, or the feeling you get when you are around ruin and decay. Not a good feeling. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-Gyrs3e6c8075-6sl3s64IV8i9fDFGPEg5ojsiInejEmt2J5S-jl_C7gsNkhiGcI5oAwAeVMg2YHeG6BOU6SlBPZKy5SSchcF9Vs_8XJqZURcp91MVoF8ns1l4XU6PqsbGNx7tKib2g/s1600/IMG_2688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-Gyrs3e6c8075-6sl3s64IV8i9fDFGPEg5ojsiInejEmt2J5S-jl_C7gsNkhiGcI5oAwAeVMg2YHeG6BOU6SlBPZKy5SSchcF9Vs_8XJqZURcp91MVoF8ns1l4XU6PqsbGNx7tKib2g/s400/IMG_2688.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">When I drive up to my studio I want to feel good, space has that power to transform you. So my husband promised me that for my birthday/Mother's day that he would help to paint the front building, which he did. We are still struggling to paint the wooden part in between the two buildings because it's such a narrow space and there is a steep incline. Next was tackling the tree stump which I hired someone to hack via a chainsaw. We attempted to rent one and do it ourselves but I learned that no one rents chainsaws on island! I suppose it's a liability issue as I hear they are quite dangerous. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUlX5Jng8An807KQ7L78oM8kzaKvvVNF1rJi-SJOJwHWED3mVntcTSTeM1VA02Dswhl0CP-SFKc29jfu9Xl-uZGPx7bH3LKKSkP4GfFq_IjmTgAcUS4Ujjfbw9A8Q1bgfrqA3aIFEF0Q/s1600/IMG_5023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUlX5Jng8An807KQ7L78oM8kzaKvvVNF1rJi-SJOJwHWED3mVntcTSTeM1VA02Dswhl0CP-SFKc29jfu9Xl-uZGPx7bH3LKKSkP4GfFq_IjmTgAcUS4Ujjfbw9A8Q1bgfrqA3aIFEF0Q/s320/IMG_5023.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGEYUGm479edmNp-QYVzVex6JkgViXSbr24N5UEwuOHOIlQ7JL3S7JJIFb7yNfgpYjOSPthtqTt205b5hbPyWkgQ19QgxiCfrGbSso3x5LGiAVbO2ZUpsSu4x-3K4IS2vMW2YwPNvbHQ/s1600/IMG_5025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGEYUGm479edmNp-QYVzVex6JkgViXSbr24N5UEwuOHOIlQ7JL3S7JJIFb7yNfgpYjOSPthtqTt205b5hbPyWkgQ19QgxiCfrGbSso3x5LGiAVbO2ZUpsSu4x-3K4IS2vMW2YwPNvbHQ/s400/IMG_5025.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmwKyMPtdqTRJZSYdd-1A7a-NmhZp2U9ZrB07UbvRPzvWRfT7-hdv-bIc0hzijXaTlF6BELJ_b_HlqEa9YdBsclZZWhk-zY9NQXfhu8MtlKpBKRYvmaovrnDwNHhI7nJTdK2pIQ84SRM/s1600/IMG_5866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmwKyMPtdqTRJZSYdd-1A7a-NmhZp2U9ZrB07UbvRPzvWRfT7-hdv-bIc0hzijXaTlF6BELJ_b_HlqEa9YdBsclZZWhk-zY9NQXfhu8MtlKpBKRYvmaovrnDwNHhI7nJTdK2pIQ84SRM/s320/IMG_5866.JPG" width="320" /></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Who knew how hard a quenip tree is, because it dulled two new blades. We cut it as low as we could and then threw some dirt and then some gravel on top and...voila!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQehgp9tWawL_Y11dbFTmSEk2JEMTFjpVFLH22H8vgykuNYXAlDeNkZlrvQQ7zoj2I1eiQjpdnRCDhn6NU16VdZ3AEVure_408jB8NVuo5XfjAmzu2RbAIZrRwKWfm6wLIzYxWyrAcNDQ/s1600/IMG_5867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQehgp9tWawL_Y11dbFTmSEk2JEMTFjpVFLH22H8vgykuNYXAlDeNkZlrvQQ7zoj2I1eiQjpdnRCDhn6NU16VdZ3AEVure_408jB8NVuo5XfjAmzu2RbAIZrRwKWfm6wLIzYxWyrAcNDQ/s320/IMG_5867.JPG" width="320" /> </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> A serious transformation to the exterior...por fin! And most
importantly it's finally safe for me to have events there without fear
that guests will trip on roots and stones. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-1266908826032737152015-04-20T06:05:00.002-07:002015-04-20T06:05:55.120-07:00Keeping up with The BenjaminsAs I continue to work on the script with a goal of finishing it by the end of the month, there was a missing piece in my research. I have researched the owners of the house from the very beginning tracing them all the way back to 1777, tracing some of the owners back to Africa and the areas that they came from. But my house was owned by the same family for almost 100 years, starting in 1920, the Benjamins, and I didn't know much about them. I had the name and phone number of Earl Benjamin that I had obtained from the lawyer that represented them when I purchased the property. I had waited to call them, until last week. It was an interesting conversation.<br />
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Mr. Benjamin left St. Croix many years ago as a child, around 10 years old in the 1940's, and like many Virgin Islanders went to NY with family. His memories of St. Croix are understandably limited. He said most of his family moved from the island and believes he has one cousin who resides in Frederiksted. He remembered spending time between my house on 18B and another house on Hill or Market St. where he lived. His grandmother lived in my house and he said he spent his early years back and forth between the two properties. He talked about having limited opportunities in St. Croix and that the move to the states had benefited their family.<br />
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The house was owned in 1920 by his grandfather, then passed to his father and then passed to him, his mother and siblings. He said that the last family members who lived in the house were is grandmother and his aunt who was caring for her. After they both died the house was rented, and then started to fall into disrepair as the gaps became bigger between tenants. I'll have to look into my notes again to place when the fire took place. But the lawyer told me that it was a struggle to keep the building boarded up and the vagrants and drug addicts out. The building burned as a result of the one of the addicts, like many of the small wooden houses that are abandoned. I suspect the Benjamin story is not unique to our town. All we have to do is look around and wonder how many of these buildings are owned by family who has moved away and the relatives no longer have interest in the building or there is no clear title. I hope that this is something that we can address. It's critical for the town to move forward. La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-44846516892762280202015-04-10T16:08:00.003-07:002015-04-10T19:26:19.096-07:00It's about the house, it was always about the houseJust came from a meeting with the historical consultant on the project to review a very rough outline/draft of the script. George Tyson has been essential with helping to keep me accurate, not making leaping inferences, keeping everything close to what we know from the records. It's finally beginning to come together and make real sense and what I came away with from today's meeting was this:<br />
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1. The story is not so much about the neighborhood, but the house. It's always been about the house, hence the title "The House That FREEDOM Built". The house anchors the renovation, the people who lived there and the neighborhood, it literally and figuratively "houses" the story.<br />
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2.The three African women who owned my house were magnificent. Magic. Super. Heroines. Every year the Danish government had to import 300-400 new Africans to offset the fact that the ones they brought here were dying at such high rates. The cane fields can accurately be described as killing fields. And to think that these women survived and endured and then become property owners under those conditions and historical times is just amazing.<br />
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3. And the last great takeaway from this meeting was in going over the scope of history through my owners we see that this neighborhood has been fluid from the beginning. There have been parts where it had tremendous continuity and stability and you see how people begin to prosper as in the 1780's. But you also see that there were times when the neighborhood was also abandoned like after the sugar industry declined and slavery no longer existed. Thousands of people not only left the towns but left island, similar to what we have just gone through with the closure of Hovensa. <br />
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And so in understanding the ebbs and flows in the history of our town one can glean hope. We are unarguably in a down moment, true, but when we look back we see that we will rise again. We always have. History proves this. <br />
<br />La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-81740889567377673432015-04-07T15:02:00.000-07:002015-04-07T15:11:53.895-07:00It's about the neighborhoodI had my colleague and friend Anil stop by about a month ago to take a look at the footage I had been editing thus far. I must confess I was floundering a bit with the process, lacking direction and swimming in circles. He looked at the footage, a montage of semi-edited sequences and interviews patiently and then about midway through stopped and said, "Ok, so what's your story about?" Instinctively, I responded with what I have been saying this story is about for about three years now, I started off with three concurrent narratives, "Well, it's about these three things: the renovation, the people who lived in the house and the larger neighborhood, Free Gut and...".<br />
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And he asked me again, "What's your story about? The central idea, what is it about?"<br />
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In slight panic mode, I wasn't sure what to say. I wanted to keep saying, it's about all those things, I couldn't pick one thing. It's about all of it. And then suddenly I picked one, or rather, one stepped forward and said, "It's me. The story is about me, it's about Free Gut". "It's about the neighborhood", I said.<br />
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And then he reminded me of something I knew, but for some reason keep avoiding, "You have to write the story La Vaughn".<br />
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I responded impishly, "I know, but how do I do that? What's the format? Is it like a script with voice overs and image sequences, is it the narration? What is it?!" I wanted someone to show me. Give me an example I could follow. So we revisited the funding trailer that I did and the way I was talking into the camera and telling the story. He told me why he believed it was so effective, because it was me, telling my story. Not necessarily the physical me on the screen, but me as in <i>my voice</i>. He reminded me that no one could tell this story better than me, and that I had a strong voice and questioned why I had opted to not use it. "<i>You</i> need to tell this story La Vaughn, you are the one who will tie all the pieces together. When you have your story you can then revisit what you have shot and see what you will need from it. Until then, stop editing."<br />
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So here I am weeks later, tangling myself up again in this project with another self-imposed deadline to finish the script this April. I have this idea of using some of the techniques from this film The Beginners as a narrative device to help ground the story and move from the micro to the macro in a similar way as "The House That Jack Built". It's exciting and exhausting at the same time. But here I am, at it again. In the work. In the work.La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-15161829900038599382015-02-09T14:59:00.000-08:002015-02-09T17:49:10.017-08:00On work<span style="font-size: small;">I feel that I have written at least 4 posts that said some version of "almost finished-last stretch-I'm almost-done" and this will not be another one. This has been an unexpectedly long process and there are still lots of tiny details, and some not so tiny, to be completed. But there was a point when I had to stop and remember the reason I began this journey three years ago: to have an artists studio. And I realized that the last coat of paint on the walls, or putting in the kitchen stove, or bookshelves, or painting the shutters was no longer impeding me from actually creating artwork in this space. So about a month or so ago I started moving in a table and chairs, and then some art supplies, and then later an easel, and then more recently began painting and thinking, writing notes, sketching ideas and I suppose I can say " I am done", sort of-almost-just a little bit more and not feel like a fraud. So yes the place still has lots of detail work to complete, but I am in the studio working, a really huge accomplishment for me. And even with my children getting into mischief around me as I work, there is something about creating a separate space for that purpose of making art. It's the best gift I ever gave to myself for art makes my soul soar like no other experience in my life. I am now working on paintings, writing public art proposals and, well, now I need to of course finish editing the documentary. It's hard to be away for a project for so long, several months and then pick it back up. You have to regain momentum, reestablish a rhythm. But I don't believe in finding inspiration to work, I believe that in work you find inspiration. The ritual of work and the rhythm of work and in some ways, that is never finished, and never done. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIVGCd3i111sow6imii1JxPsT_McQqjdph0RhToOcmxaO2racisNcMhRlAGzMRuMi2BL8qTrlRpRF1P3dXZRappq9rnzmPFF1xxGxKzHfHhRHisdqR-VRY6_qwOpANKg5ySYUMrnd5aY/s1600/IMG_4527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIVGCd3i111sow6imii1JxPsT_McQqjdph0RhToOcmxaO2racisNcMhRlAGzMRuMi2BL8qTrlRpRF1P3dXZRappq9rnzmPFF1xxGxKzHfHhRHisdqR-VRY6_qwOpANKg5ySYUMrnd5aY/s1600/IMG_4527.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a>La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-27381068802975925292014-11-09T16:29:00.002-08:002014-11-09T16:39:34.141-08:00RENOVATION UPDATE: The Countdown Is On!!!!<span style="font-size: small;">The FLOORS are finished! For the wooden section I decided to stain the floors with two colors.
The first was a red mahogany stain. And the second was two coats of a
walnut stain with polyurethane. I used a stain pad. The results are
decent. I am quite satisfied with them. I did spend a lot of time
sanding them (using a palm sander since we don't have big sanders on
island). </span><br />
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I used a combination of glue and sawdust and the commercial wood patch
material to fill in the gaps between the floor boards. That part I am
very pleased with. It came out great! <br />
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For the cement floors I used a concrete latex stain with two colors.
First a light grey and then a brownish color. I used a sponge and a rag
to give texture. I wish the floor could have been smoother, but I have
satisfied with the outcome. I topped it off with two coats of a concrete
sealer with a gloss finish.<br />
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We also got some simple CABINETS installed in the KITCHEN! Huge. We used what they call baboon plywood to make them. I don't need anything fancy for this space. I will stain them a similar color to the wooden floors and call it a day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FWT5a2BqH40Lfhiha3pzOnnFIeq5GaWSPF_naA1Kw1Oa0r1hq2K_7ypGPWWo4DtzDkAxqPORnzPtjtMKiHlto2M1gu8oKkIEYAO9pzNJyPRa8qKiW3SvI60JUh1Bm5qH37gA8uF_iK0/s1600/IMG_4403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FWT5a2BqH40Lfhiha3pzOnnFIeq5GaWSPF_naA1Kw1Oa0r1hq2K_7ypGPWWo4DtzDkAxqPORnzPtjtMKiHlto2M1gu8oKkIEYAO9pzNJyPRa8qKiW3SvI60JUh1Bm5qH37gA8uF_iK0/s1600/IMG_4403.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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Now what remains is doing the final touches of painting the walls, the door trims, etc.<br />
I also need to install kitchen sink and faucet.<br />
Tile the kitchen counter-top and back-splash.<br />
And the interior will be pretty much FINISHED!!!<br />
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I have a strict deadline for Sunday, November 23. WHYYYYYY? Because, I was invited by the <a href="http://www.stcroixlandmarks.com/" target="_blank">St. Croix Landmarks Society</a> to give a "House Tour" for their "Places That Matter" event. It coincides with a <a href="http://www.stcroixlandmarks.com/education/caribbean-symposium-on-genealogy-and-history" target="_blank">Regional Genealogy and History Conference </a>that they are hosting. It will be the first time that the public will be invited to the space. Yes, pressure. <br />
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<br />La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-73925305301515205082014-09-18T18:58:00.001-07:002014-11-09T16:32:32.474-08:00Painting, painting and more painting. Oh, and caulking too.<br />
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Now with the shutters in. I am finally ready to finish the interior. Caulking the ship lap siding is a lot of work. The gaps are wider than they should be because we made the mistake of not letting the wood cure in the building for a few days. One has to let wood dry out a bit before putting it up as siding because after we installed it, days later, it did dry out and left gaps in both the floor and the walls. I share these mistakes so you don't make them. And I made a lot. <br />
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So, the caulking is almost complete and the painting is almost done too. </div>
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My intention is to finish the painting of the walls and the floors by the end of September. And then finish the painting of the exterior. The shutters are half primed and the walls are half painted. Oh my goodness, aahhhh-lmost there. </div>
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La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-17621758112275125052014-09-08T18:10:00.000-07:002014-09-18T20:03:27.008-07:00Almost there: SHUTTERS ARE IN!!!We spent the summer in Cuba visiting my husband's family. After returning in late August and getting kids back into the back-to-school groove I have been able to reassess this project. It's been three years since I first acquired the property and it has been quite a journey. My life has made unexpected demands on me and that there have been long stints that I could not work on either the renovation or the documentary. But this is the first time where I really do see that proverbial l<i>ight at the end of the tunnel</i>. I am really <b>almost there.</b><br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKou6irRHHfnr5z83NdzGEm71G7KZ95cef3CQSEJuNmK1s3Zzc6iS9bEAKXgvk64bNI0Y7yt7lvVqT5Oy10FhQaE68tInm3i0mTeFrPk4hJqS3yhp57BzShFecz2qTYfz8oabY73_L0_g/s1600/IMG_3214.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKou6irRHHfnr5z83NdzGEm71G7KZ95cef3CQSEJuNmK1s3Zzc6iS9bEAKXgvk64bNI0Y7yt7lvVqT5Oy10FhQaE68tInm3i0mTeFrPk4hJqS3yhp57BzShFecz2qTYfz8oabY73_L0_g/s1600/IMG_3214.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a> </b><br />
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In July I was able to put together some funds to get the shutters made. I made it a point to get the
historical hinges. They cost me almost as much as the labor and
materials for the shutters themselves. Luckily, the vendor is someone I
know and who believes in the project. They gave me a discount, but even
with the discount it was definitely a pricey item: $25-$30/ hinge. Notice there are four per window opening. That adds up fast!<br />
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I had some disappointments with the quality of the work on the shutters, and even considered getting them redone. But, I am going to live with it. Perhaps by looking at the picture you can see what the issue is:</div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXcb-Ko43cFkqQ4LL7M87AVlu_7RR5nLD-BWketzrlOsbj9xhf4BjdfkcXl5aTg3uArcqi0pKlBpCHa2XxKexmmp7O1OmRyoM0zGlddycvMPgKaenLswX7ZKH41VD7ogKMyO219RxXWjI/s1600/IMG_3321.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXcb-Ko43cFkqQ4LL7M87AVlu_7RR5nLD-BWketzrlOsbj9xhf4BjdfkcXl5aTg3uArcqi0pKlBpCHa2XxKexmmp7O1OmRyoM0zGlddycvMPgKaenLswX7ZKH41VD7ogKMyO219RxXWjI/s1600/IMG_3321.JPG" height="300" width="400" /> </a></b></div>
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<b> </b>........see it?........no?.....</div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee;">T</span>hey are uneven. The carpenter made one side bigger than the next so they can lap, or fold over. It is true some people do shutters this way, but for the most part they are supposed to look even when they are open. It's part of the aesthetics. I considered having it redone and then let it go. They serve their function. The person who installed them also had a little mishap when installing the ones in the bathroom.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGhYAaRwVEnhwUzwmepemyA5_57oMunhRHdHbSmoNNmGdNeSmh-uySpnVzn0t3T3eWNvL5CMUmHfdhKugZjxI712rqgxt-H2_zcslRy5AtLmgNijhRsCh1blk4X0JWQrwGdRQ5QjrSK8/s1600/IMG_3320.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGhYAaRwVEnhwUzwmepemyA5_57oMunhRHdHbSmoNNmGdNeSmh-uySpnVzn0t3T3eWNvL5CMUmHfdhKugZjxI712rqgxt-H2_zcslRy5AtLmgNijhRsCh1blk4X0JWQrwGdRQ5QjrSK8/s1600/IMG_3320.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> </div>
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He underestimated the width of the wall and the bolts came through and damaged the tile. Still waiting to have that fixed. These disappointments are part of construction: things happen, there is miscommunication, different expectations and mistakes. With experience and better communication you can keep these to a minimum. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXML2WXunSsyLrO9kSGG6NuDGXELpOcyQbEjr3ohjJ-vZ82fsXP4CriqSce5d_z6VLsCVKIL9vR-xoX7bDT9NZptkwPhm-luKh24PzCr6UbRiEBmdcPyqx4qW1k6J3G9KDI48tg7dSoPs/s1600/IMG_3324.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXML2WXunSsyLrO9kSGG6NuDGXELpOcyQbEjr3ohjJ-vZ82fsXP4CriqSce5d_z6VLsCVKIL9vR-xoX7bDT9NZptkwPhm-luKh24PzCr6UbRiEBmdcPyqx4qW1k6J3G9KDI48tg7dSoPs/s1600/IMG_3324.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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What the shutters have afforded me is the ability to finally finish
the interior of the building. We removed all of the bars and can now
secure the building properly against weather and theft. That means I can
finish the painting, stain and seal the floors and ......actually begin to put things
in the building, like tables, and chairs and art supplies! <br />
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Transitioning into post-production has been an exciting but challenging process. I have the story of the previous owners, almost a dozen interviews, the story of Free Gut, issues with the town and it's current state of abandonment and the renovation of my building forge into one coherent and engaging story. "Mr Bill" aka William Stelzer came over from St. John to work on the project with me again for a week and it was so helpful. We did some filming but a lot of what we did was talking, thinking and sorting. </div>
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I really wanted to have a strong outline for the film developed by the time he left. I had been working on a script on and off using a spreadsheet format. It was so difficult using a computer screen. You had to scroll up or down to be able to see what came previously or after and its was hard to see the whole picture, both literally and figuratively. Bill suggested that I used index cards, which at first I was skeptical because it reminded me of taking note cards to write papers in the eighth grade. However, he was right, by jotting down my ideas on the cards and tacking them to the wall in a large timeline I was able to overlay the various components of the film and literally and figuratively see the whole picture. It was so interesting to me thinking about how amazing and essential of a tool a computer is, but the confines of a screen posed such a limitation on visualizing the project that it was useless in creating an outline. At least for me and the way my brain works, but I suspect it has less to do with me and more to do with film as a medium. </div>
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So here was the process:</div>
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1. Put on a separate notecard each owners of the house from the 1777 to present day.</div>
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2. Put on a separte notecard key dates in VI history, including certain relevant dates from US and Danish history.</div>
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3. Make notes on what the key items that I want people to know in the documentary. For example. Where is Free Gut, who lived there, or that Freed Colored owned slaves, etc...and insert these into the timeline.</div>
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4. At this point I could then go into the interviews and pick out quotes that would correspond to these key ideas.</div>
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5. I then inserted different aspects of the renovation.</div>
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And...voila, you have a rough outline of a film.</div>
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La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-33822001846368194392014-06-05T07:44:00.003-07:002014-06-05T07:47:28.887-07:00Renovation Update: Bathroom Complete<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FVpOKsmXwjf34xQjADHXrYpa63hurymLKZLHC4aRY1HjWQRrWfaFPKfN64Lr102G1iSpFpWJ7Umxxe_i0JBzwGhRrJUkWAKRnRUqQizwIfP4rGMDivESpsBcFjHIXEDMsFvX_K7f6Cs/s1600/IMG_2747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FVpOKsmXwjf34xQjADHXrYpa63hurymLKZLHC4aRY1HjWQRrWfaFPKfN64Lr102G1iSpFpWJ7Umxxe_i0JBzwGhRrJUkWAKRnRUqQizwIfP4rGMDivESpsBcFjHIXEDMsFvX_K7f6Cs/s1600/IMG_2747.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>The bathroom is complete. For the most part. We need to still caulk and paint the bathroom ceiling and place a few tiles that are missing. I have also cleaned out the space and moved all construction materials and tools into the other building.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZR7RF_L2UrhAlF8B5TrZ8SIv6TkQgDDtVCuhH8-G8VSC-K_lq-XKV7Dl2hT7INb_m66ajTz4CYEj64TDRN1NQvebaYg_QsmyI0QjAXDpfXtvTU-f-Z3_xAHal4h1hyphenhyphenchC2B0tX_gG5M/s1600/IMG_2749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZR7RF_L2UrhAlF8B5TrZ8SIv6TkQgDDtVCuhH8-G8VSC-K_lq-XKV7Dl2hT7INb_m66ajTz4CYEj64TDRN1NQvebaYg_QsmyI0QjAXDpfXtvTU-f-Z3_xAHal4h1hyphenhyphenchC2B0tX_gG5M/s1600/IMG_2749.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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Next step is to get the shutters made and installed. I have hired a new carpenter for this job and am nervous. I asked him to bring me a sample of one to see what he would do and there were some issues with how he constructed the shutter. In short, he took the easy way out. I had to ask him to redo the routed part. He may be finished by this weekend. Very exciting. What that means is that I can then secure the building properly from the elements, but most importantly from the hen who has decided that my Queen Anne chair would make a perfect nest. With the shutters in I can:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqFjxeT0_0vc2T0vBM6KajzAaQJ363NIAw51K26CEw6mKe3Ihyp0ffh4eO-sx63gD_A7IitDsiimDSr6uI1I7ffrfoB8WP4OKkYme9H1FYf0k8VdAWdzMVhNBowKd7m1nJ1fxYWuc73c/s1600/IMG_2946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqFjxeT0_0vc2T0vBM6KajzAaQJ363NIAw51K26CEw6mKe3Ihyp0ffh4eO-sx63gD_A7IitDsiimDSr6uI1I7ffrfoB8WP4OKkYme9H1FYf0k8VdAWdzMVhNBowKd7m1nJ1fxYWuc73c/s1600/IMG_2946.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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stain and seal the concrete floor,<br />
get kitchen cabinets installed,<br />
get small appliances,<br />
finish paint ceiling,<br />
fill and stain wooden floor,<br />
caulk and paint wooden walls,<br />
and of course, paint the shutters and doors.<br />
And then,<br />
<i>damas y caballeros</i>,<br />
the interior would be finished.<br />
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wow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6ZOVzIkmiRyCs73yV8Zvrk0uV4fQwkSkoPcLkQqpV5urmsPTpi1UIYTI5o-ygF-LVEBpHFZo0ZWJpfroRrEGx6KytAXN5gV4hkohKfF8Rt-lhYrmeQX1_MKx9UY3NlvCNGGuJGEpNDw/s1600/IMG_2750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6ZOVzIkmiRyCs73yV8Zvrk0uV4fQwkSkoPcLkQqpV5urmsPTpi1UIYTI5o-ygF-LVEBpHFZo0ZWJpfroRrEGx6KytAXN5gV4hkohKfF8Rt-lhYrmeQX1_MKx9UY3NlvCNGGuJGEpNDw/s1600/IMG_2750.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>My goal is still to be moved in by the end of the summer. I'm considering having a work/fundraising party, since a lot of these last details are more work intensive than funds intensive. I've had a few people along the way who have asked if they could help in any way. Be ready, I'll be calling! :)<br />
<br />La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-37733425112937013972014-02-04T02:31:00.003-08:002014-02-04T02:38:20.233-08:00Agua!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Renovation has begun again. Getting plumbing to the building became paramount. My daughters are often with me and I got tired of sending them to the bush when they needed to use the bathroom.<br />
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The bathroom was an addition to the house made in the early 1900's, I'm placing it between 1920-1930. It appears to have been done by cutting a hole out of the side of the building and adding a concrete block structure that is supported also by concrete blocks. Unlike the elegance in proportion of the original structure, this bathroom was done in a way that left it awkward. You have to step down 3 inches when you enter it. The ceiling is very low. The toilet is a little far from the wall. There is a window above the face basin. All this to say that we gutted the bathroom and made some minor adjustments in positioning of the toilet.<br />
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My original idea was to have a white bathroom, but when it came time to
buy the materials at HD nothing of what I had looked at before was
there. There seems to be a serious ordering problem in that store. So I
settled for travertine tiles, 18"X24". Stone is a beautiful material. I'm satisfied but not thrilled.<br />
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We installed completely new plumbing in the walls and in the ground. I don't know if I would have changed even the sewer line if I didn't have to, but since the "Copper Thieves" stole most of the cast iron pipes that were partially exposed due to erosion, we had to. It cost $1200 in labor and another $400 in materials. <br />
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I never imagined how exciting it would feel to see water flowing into a toilet. It was surreal. Water in a toilet, in this house, that was so abandoned and neglected for years. It made me think of how amazing that must have been for those who also saw indoor plumbing for the first time. The foundation for the outhouse/privy/latrine is still located to the back of the property. I'm not sure what I will do with it yet.<br />
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In the interviews I did with residents of the area, many commented that up to the 50's when most people still had outhouses, that men would come in the nights to empty them out. One of the interviewee's said the she was a girl at the time and it was a bit scary for her because they would come in a big noisy truck and be dressed in dark clothes, long boots and gloves, and masks. I think she said they were called the "Night Soil Men". I have to go back and look, but regardless, I like the name and see it fitting.<br />
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My next civilizing feat is to get electricity to the building. The process has begun, but is incomplete. More on that later. For now I'm enjoying running water. <br />
<br />La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-26181063874248257732013-11-12T10:12:00.000-08:002014-02-04T02:34:33.251-08:00Precipice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So...I haven't posted in awhile and it's not for the typical reasons. It's not because of family demands, or because I started back teaching at the University, or because I couldn't find the time. I have a very, very busy and full life, and lot's of people depend on me. But, in all honesty, that is not why I disengaged. So here is why...<br />
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Sometime in July, in the midst of full-on renovation I lost my way. It has been a constant struggle while doing this renovation these questions of; how much do you keep? what can be saved? what is within your budget to save? and then, how do you do save what you truly want and can afford to keep? When I say afford I mean this in many ways. Can you afford the technical expert who knows how to restore 200 year old wood that is rotting? Or even if you researched the methods can you afford to pay someone the time it will take to do the work? I am doing a documentary about a historic renovation (not restoration) but felt/feel/felt and sometimes still feel like I failed. The oldest part of the house, the wooden part, in the end got almost completely replaced and in the end, when I looked at all this wood that I could have tried to save I felt/feel/felt and sometimes still feel so defeated. My answers to so many of these questions were not what I expected or even wanted. But in the end, they were mine and this is my story and I hope that in telling it, others will learn from my mistakes. <br />
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In all great drama there is a turning point, so it was with me that in late July, a builder (who will remain nameless) came to visit the site and lambasted my contractor as he was trying to convince me that I needed an entirely new roof. At that point, he had convinced me that the floors were wood rotten, the beams too, and he also changed most of the siding, even the interior ones, that really just needed sanding and scraping. Watching her question him on why he didn't use this technique or the other to reinforce the beams instead of replacing them was shocking. It made me realize how ignorant I was and how trusting. I believed my well-intentioned contractor when he said I had to replace beams, or wood or siding. I made him explain to me his rationale and it made sense. Most importantly though this female builder reminded me, that as a woman you have to really push what your vision is. There will be men, <i>cyaan done</i> who will tell you what you should do with your building, but that you need to stand firm with your vision. I felt/feel/felt and sometimes still feel that I wasn't able to do that. My vision was not to have a new building, but if you replace four walls and the floor with new materials you come pretty close to having one. Some would be thrilled with that, I am not. <br />
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It was also challenging because in the middle of doing the renovation I was also filming interviews at other locations and each time I would return to the building site, more pieces of the building were gone, replaced and discarded. I was loosing more and more control and in the end just stopped. Stopped working on the renovation, stopped working on the documentary. I needed time, to think and regroup. It was not a conscious decision to stop, but it was a needed one. When I look back at my last post in July I think "How did it get to be November already?" But during this time I was able to reflect. I have been working along the edge of a precipice for quite sometime and coping with the anxiety that brings. I had to go back to this question: Why am I telling this story? I realized that I had projected myself as some sort of heroine that was going to <i>save this building</i> and <i>save it's stories</i>. It never occurred to me that I would also make un-fixable mistakes, and that even though someone can be well-intentioned, being not well-informed can cancel that out. <br />
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So some things I learned:<br />
1. Know your lane. Expecting a carpinter/contractor to be knowledeable about restoring a historic building is like expecting me, a painter, to be knowledage about restoring a historic painting. It's a specialty field, with specialized knowledge.<br />
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2. Know your vision. It wasn't until the contractor asked me " This building must be really old?" when I realized he really didn't understand what I was trying to do. When I asked him, "Yes, of course it's old, why do you ask like that?" He responded that when he had taken out some of the beams he saw the mortise and tenon wooden joints holding the building together. This technique is rarely used anymore since nails and screws are cheaper and easier. This is a thousands of year old building technique that he ripped out for the sake of having something new. He didn't get that "new" wasn't the look I was going for.<br />
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3. Know your limitations. I admit it. I have a complete superwoman complex. I think I can do anything and everything. And that is just simply not true. There are limits to my time, my energy and my money and those limits need to be respected. If I had a better assessment of my limitations I would have had better direction and less disappointment. <br />
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So in my despair and these realization my daughter Isolde said something to me, that made things clearer. She saw me crying and asked me why. (Yes, I admit it, I did cry over this project.) I tried to explain to my five-year old about the renovation, and about throwing away too much of the material that could have been saved and she looked at me puzzled and said, "So you are crying about...rotten wood?" Kids don't tell the truth, they are the truth and the truth at that moment <i>I had catch myself</i> as we say. Forward and onward. I still have the bathroom, kitchenette, shutter, interior and exterior painting to do, but I have a renewed vision. My goal is now to be finished by the end of the year. Excited!<br />
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<br />La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-49178410079255286152013-07-26T05:38:00.001-07:002013-07-29T14:06:24.320-07:00Interview: Gerard Emanuel, retired history teacher, former resident of Free GutI have known Gerard Emanuel for over twenty years when I first met him in 1990 when I worked with him on the US Census. I was 16 and worked as an enumerator. It was my first job ever! I had to beg my parents to do it as they thought that having a job and earning money would have made me think I was "grown". It was an amazing experience to have at that age, to walk into people's homes and ask them such personal questions about family, work and ethnicity. I remember that experience fondly and as I write this, I realize that I am doing that same job again, just in a different way, on a different scale, using a different medium.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gerard Emanuel on Market and East St. Christiansted, reminiscing about his boyhood in town.</td></tr>
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Gerard is a retired history teacher and a social sciences professor who has long ties to St. Croix, but especially Christiansted. Like many of the people I interviewed he talks about walking the town and in his case carrying messages for his mother. Reminding us once again of a time without cell phones, without landlines, a time where face-to-face interactions were the basis of communication. A time where like today, when you passed someone on the street you greeted them, "Good morning" or "Good Afternoon", and stopped briefly to exchange pleasantries and inquire about the well-being of mothers, grandmothers or children.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Gerard's family member's house on East St. </u></td></tr>
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We also talked about the "untidiness" of slavery and its legacy, how race dynamics were not as neat and clear-cut as some might want to envision. Freed Blacks might have owned slaves. Whites masters might have fallen in love with their slaves. Freed Colored women might have used their sexuality to advance their position in society. And White Danes might have also exploited them. There were so many unanswered questions: What was the relationship between the Free Black community and the still enslaved community? Did the Free community see themselves as advocates for the enslaved or did they only seek out to create a way for themselves to have more rights and be more equal to Whites. Who is this figure of the "Housekeeper"? Was this simply a legal term to try to legitimize a romantic relationship with Black and Colored women? Were these women exploited or did they actively seek out these relationships with Danish men? How did the enslaved see the Freed Blacks? Did they aspire to be like them? Or did they see marroonage as a more desirable option considering the restrictions that Freed Blacks were also placed under? Many parts of this interview were less "interview" and more conversation, wonderings, as even my cameraman Tristan Jones jumped in with his own ideas. <br />
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Gerard also relayed some fascinating interpretations of how he felt culture operated as a form of social control. He commented on how jumbie stories worked as ways to keep children off of the streets, how discipline was often accompanied with proverbs that were not explained, but that you had to figure out the meaning to and how even the architecture of the buildings, like the jalousie windows, allowed one to observe the street and its "goingon" without the person on the street knowing they were being watched. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jalousie window on home on East St, Christiansted</td></tr>
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We also talked about the tension between celebrating and preserving a historic town, but still allowing for each generation to make its mark. He questioned the validity in wanting our town to only look the way it did in the 1800's especially considering that it represents a time where so many of the people were living under duress. He yearns for this generation to be also given the opportunity to use their imagination in fashioning our town. I hope that this work can open or inspire a path to making this happen, even if what this generation imagines is preservation.La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-4548812012200967692013-07-25T20:23:00.000-07:002013-08-05T11:55:54.098-07:00Interview: Dianne Canegata O'ReillyAt the turn of the twentieth century my house was owned by James C. Canegata, a shrewd businessman that over the next decade would own over twenty properties in town, have over 200 tenants, own a dry goods store and even a soda factory. I was able to interview his great-granddaughter, Dianne Canegata O'Reilly, an enterprising woman in her own right as she is the owner of Shay's Boutique on the corner of Company and Church St. The fact that her great-grandfather's store was on the same street as her own is only one of the many ways that this family has left an interconnected legacy in the town of Christiansted.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dianne Canegata O'Reilly, great granddaughter of one of the previous owners of my house, James C. Canegata</td></tr>
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In the Virgin Islands perhaps the most famous of the clan is the beloved Dr. David C. Canegata whom the Christiansted ball park is named after. Dr. Canegata was the first Crucian to become a physician, was a member of all three branches of government and was an active humanitarian. Although coming from a rather privileged background of going to exclusive boarding schools in Antigua and being educated in Montreal, when he became a physician he is often described as taking a chicken for payment of medical services or not accepting payment at all. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. David C. Canegata, son of one of the previous owners of my house</td></tr>
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However, there is perhaps an even more famous Canegata that many Virgin Islanders know nothing about. Lionel C. Canegata, better known as Canada Lee, was the son of the first born son of James C. Canegata. It appears from baptismal documents and Census records that James C. Canegata had a son before David with a woman by the name of Fanny Levy. At 17 James C. Jr. left for NYC and became a part of the Harlem Renassaince movement with other notable Virgin Islanders like Hubert Harrison and Casper Holstein. His son, Lionel, born and raised in NYC became a famous jockey, boxer and then later an actor in both theater and film. Nicknamed Lee from childhood, it was during a fight as a boxer where the announcer mispronounced his name and Canegata became "Canada" and stuck.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lionel C. Canegata aka Canada Lee, famous boxer and actor</td></tr>
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And what is even more amazing about this process of researching the Canegatas is that we believe to have uncovered a younger brother to Dr. David C. Canegata, James Albert Canegata, apparently born in 1895 according to the St. John's church records! It was exciting and incredible that as we searched for better clarification on Canada Lee and who his mother was, we discovered indeed another brother. This was an unexpected surprise to the surviving Canegatas on St. Croix.<br />
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However, separate from the family discoveries, Dianne relayed a fascinating image of a strong and united family. One with beautiful traditions and a strong sense of place. She recounted memories of family gatherings at "The Hill" as her grandparents house was affectionately referred to, where all the Canegatas gathered for dinner on Sunday, Easter or Christmas. Unfortunately the beautiful historic home she describes was destroyed in 1989 in Hurricane Hugo. What remains on this large property are the steps she remembers using to enter her grandparents home. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steps to Dr. David C. Canegata's home on Fisher St. Christiansted, the remains of Hurricane Hugo in 1989</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-KcrKHsfZtrjWqUsMuUC85HhnMuiUvhKy1_mwJ6ynPGjTwfxytoTG-GAP3WLv0Xsmmmtq0t012UjT-S-JsgtezGrApG6H9bs6WKZH7Kc9qgMUo0MvRml9zdjM0SLp0X7oXDh9RwJBiw/s1600/dr+david+canegata+property+2.tiff" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-KcrKHsfZtrjWqUsMuUC85HhnMuiUvhKy1_mwJ6ynPGjTwfxytoTG-GAP3WLv0Xsmmmtq0t012UjT-S-JsgtezGrApG6H9bs6WKZH7Kc9qgMUo0MvRml9zdjM0SLp0X7oXDh9RwJBiw/s640/dr+david+canegata+property+2.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Canegata property on the corner of Church St. and Fisher St.</td></tr>
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One of the other reflections she shared that stood out to me was a comment about what it felt like to recognize a particular brick on a street that you have canvassed your entire life. Having walked these streets as a child and now as an adult, she said it gives her a tremendous comfort and sense of self to be able to do that. It was a small but profound description of a true sense of place and belonging. It is that same sense of place and ownership that I hope my documentary can inspire.<br />
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La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-27006573911119491162013-07-14T18:53:00.001-07:002013-07-26T04:07:40.751-07:00Interview: Sonia Jacobs Dow, Executive Director of the St. Croix Landmarks Society<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sonia Jacobs Dow, Executive Director of the St. Croix Landmarks Society</td></tr>
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This week I had the opportunity to interview Sonia Dow, executive director of the <a href="http://www.stcroixlandmarks.com/" target="_blank">St. Croix Landmarks Society.</a> It's an amazing organization dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage. They run two museums, a library and have great programs, exhibits, concerts and tours. Ms. Dow also has connections to Free Gut and the larger Christiansted, so she was a natural choice for an interview subject that deals with the town, the buildings and the story of its former residents. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sonia Dow, Executive Direction of St. Croix Landmarks Society in front of "My Granny House"</td></tr>
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We interviewed her on the property of the Estate Whim Museum. I have actually had an exhibit there. You can see a link <a href="http://www.lavaughnbelle.com/the_planters_chair.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.lavaughnbelle.com/somebodys_been_sleeping_in_my_bed.html" target="_blank">here </a>to view some of the images from that show.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-pmYawKiFf9qFgR8dfzPIxGQH-cXbN4h0lNPWAA3Y22EE391ESlxRDf-JHnJDm62N2Kfu1rxhRwua4GmCp_ipLj5AIWdoUbiCtSnmncc-iWWS6xNdUa5gEqMhYW8BEcArnfYVRsqDMk/s1600/My+Grannys+House-bed.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-pmYawKiFf9qFgR8dfzPIxGQH-cXbN4h0lNPWAA3Y22EE391ESlxRDf-JHnJDm62N2Kfu1rxhRwua4GmCp_ipLj5AIWdoUbiCtSnmncc-iWWS6xNdUa5gEqMhYW8BEcArnfYVRsqDMk/s640/My+Grannys+House-bed.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iron Bed as a part of the "My Granny House" Exhibit at the Estate Whim Museum</td></tr>
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However we chose to interview her in front of a beautiful wooden house that was constructed about 20 years ago that has been recently converted into an exhibit entitled "My Granny House". The first time I entered the house it brought back so many memories of both of my grandmothers houses. My grandmother in Barbados and Tobago have similar homes. The kitchen, the bed, the grip, the dollies, the crochet doll, the rocking chair, coal pot all made me think of my Granny and how my parents grew up. Both of them in one and two room wooden houses that they shared with 6-8 people. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xyH42WxEJZwkUwUl9cNanhyphenhyphenQlisr5KUf9HAYQP516tnfAz2NmBOrEpNlY2c-BBZtI943BPVAcQmPVZT49OtD8UsHqj-zVZXCkmxLNNmNxYEQohQakUZxNCFRs-pTOtJ-fpjKtgRqnwc/s1600/IMG_5757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xyH42WxEJZwkUwUl9cNanhyphenhyphenQlisr5KUf9HAYQP516tnfAz2NmBOrEpNlY2c-BBZtI943BPVAcQmPVZT49OtD8UsHqj-zVZXCkmxLNNmNxYEQohQakUZxNCFRs-pTOtJ-fpjKtgRqnwc/s640/IMG_5757.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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What was most memorable to me about our interview was Ms. Dow's commentary on the effect of uncovering one's family history. She talked about the varied emotions that surface when someone finds that first African born ancestor or the first ancestor that was a slaveholder. Due to the meticulous Danish accounting of property taxes, and we remember that slaves were considered property, it is possible for many Virgin Islanders to trace their family history in their library. The process, she says, is incredibly healing, the stories are healing. And for me, although I am not related to anyone that owned my house, we agreed that the stories are powerful enough that they transcend bloodlines. It was a great reminder of one of the many reasons that I am doing this documentary.La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-60222699943508415852013-07-13T22:00:00.000-07:002014-09-18T20:57:01.322-07:00Hucksters and Housekeepers<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEB7nvqN4XC5yU_GDxLBiRzUaUEOeV3gNzvkmEIylDN2vriiG0YT0kxRPN42FCmi72SUQM9IP6TY0uxRR5F56cp1URqlIFrAyOssaxkf8DSzzJ_jAGNp-u-Qxzloo4EeStdWCbVvOakQ/s1600/huckster+fsted+1900+danish+maritime+museum.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEB7nvqN4XC5yU_GDxLBiRzUaUEOeV3gNzvkmEIylDN2vriiG0YT0kxRPN42FCmi72SUQM9IP6TY0uxRR5F56cp1URqlIFrAyOssaxkf8DSzzJ_jAGNp-u-Qxzloo4EeStdWCbVvOakQ/s640/huckster+fsted+1900+danish+maritime+museum.tiff" height="252" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frederiksted Huckster, 1900 Danish Maritime Museum</td></tr>
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Several of the people who owned my house were women. During the Danish
colonial time women were able to obtain freedom by a variety of
ways. One of them was by being a huckster, an itinerant vendor who sold
bread, fruit, herbs or vegetables and with the money they earned some were
able to purchase their freedom. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6mauVeLgUreouqw8f1bQiqkrXQerTGhVDzvN5xSYaoz4m1eJaFXfHFzxDS5uYC-cweNMN084qzGcP3SELPZFilxgNDJN-93a8hd9uyioq9ckME6DccJzm-VcK10QG71qpDXejaROlI4/s1600/Oceana+as+Huckster-kendricks+2.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6mauVeLgUreouqw8f1bQiqkrXQerTGhVDzvN5xSYaoz4m1eJaFXfHFzxDS5uYC-cweNMN084qzGcP3SELPZFilxgNDJN-93a8hd9uyioq9ckME6DccJzm-VcK10QG71qpDXejaROlI4/s640/Oceana+as+Huckster-kendricks+2.tiff" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oceana James as a Huckster for the film "The House That Freedom Built", July 2013</td></tr>
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The huckster is another version of the quintessential image of
a Caribbean market lady. From the perspective of a visual artist I have often felt that these
images have often been over-used and romanticized in painting. While doing this
project I have gained a new understanding for the fortitude of these
women and a new appreciation for who they were and what they represent.
Simple things, like trying to find a tray/ basket that was the right size for
our reenactment made me understand that these women would want a tray
large enough to carry enough goods to make money, but not too large that
you couldn't bear the weight. And then of course one imagines these
women walking around often balancing this weight on their heads.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAcGfwCRK0A2rlPXZL2d43fnVL7njFj99US6RvDPID0IdDvtp-HbG5ERgtvUfNMj4PJ62U4FW_3RPaTdO_RQCQuIY4cCNtFA97OHH0mqbJ14ipPS1ifXgskX6K38wB-SRMVJn4AdDQx4/s1600/Oceana+as+Housekeeper.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAcGfwCRK0A2rlPXZL2d43fnVL7njFj99US6RvDPID0IdDvtp-HbG5ERgtvUfNMj4PJ62U4FW_3RPaTdO_RQCQuIY4cCNtFA97OHH0mqbJ14ipPS1ifXgskX6K38wB-SRMVJn4AdDQx4/s640/Oceana+as+Housekeeper.tiff" height="236" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oceana James as a "Housekeeper". Effects test for the film "The House That Freedom Built", July 2013</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And then there is the more controversial image of the "housekeeper".
Often Danish men would have come to the colonies without their families.
Although it was illegal for them to marry women of color and even live
with them in a romantic capacity, the position of a "housekeeper" was legal. This would be a woman who worked for a Danish officer in
his home, the use of quotations signifies that this relationship was
often more than laundry and cooking. It was often also sexual and might have also produced children. These liasons were also one of the ways that women could obtain their
freedom. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUF191bnMcwUFVLPpHWnh8ZM5dva43EbpPZABb6qKc1eksFmMKZaBtL_zvKX24noCw1aaw8gA0qhdLkEFGocLfwsmE4tjdZydBxLBggQ7kDsVfivIRSYyVgDzfb-3lzadP50_UE243wE4/s1600/Oceana+as+Huckster-red.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUF191bnMcwUFVLPpHWnh8ZM5dva43EbpPZABb6qKc1eksFmMKZaBtL_zvKX24noCw1aaw8gA0qhdLkEFGocLfwsmE4tjdZydBxLBggQ7kDsVfivIRSYyVgDzfb-3lzadP50_UE243wE4/s640/Oceana+as+Huckster-red.tiff" height="237" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oceana James as a Huckster for the film "The House That Freedom Built", July 2013</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpIjFnGXEu9ZTp44K2k8Re5wP0Xk6gLIR-pqXVqnFpPYGsJfSI0KnB3vMk7OSB6oxSJy5Qy3Rq_qAQsYZdK6EpyoROAq7svcZFw5c7upgYRhJt27UG3wBpuvl4BjquV2MOJhfZZz7YmU/s1600/Sayeeda+as+Huckster-market+st.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpIjFnGXEu9ZTp44K2k8Re5wP0Xk6gLIR-pqXVqnFpPYGsJfSI0KnB3vMk7OSB6oxSJy5Qy3Rq_qAQsYZdK6EpyoROAq7svcZFw5c7upgYRhJt27UG3wBpuvl4BjquV2MOJhfZZz7YmU/s640/Sayeeda+as+Huckster-market+st.tiff" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sayeeda Carter as a Huckster for the film "The House That Freedom Built", July 2013</td></tr>
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Two beautiful actors worked on these representations with me, Oceana James and Sayeeda Carter. It was a fun day. We worked in the late afternoon so the lighting was beautiful. Several people stopped us while filming to ask about the project and they were very intrigued. Since our entire town is historic is was amazing how quickly you were transported back in time. <br />
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Although there are some photographs like the one below of "Big Mouth Catherine" that I may be able to use for the film. I wanted some more diversity in my imagery. My cameraman, Bill Stelzer, talked about why historical images tend to look the way they do, why the portraits all seemed to have a despondency or emptiness in the expression.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3cPWuIKBdVm58cCJh22KrTVxB59JN_gi6ufTtkB9k3L6XEW2vwIie6J6wI788gqvZ-ez5MyY9y29zEgczgDh_QSg0JYTasEe5Ei5vqnFOZERuOZGQ3gWXHCpLS56Nlz83zfLPzIscsg/s1600/Huckster-Big+Mouth+Catherin+1890,+Danish+Royal+Library.tiff" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3cPWuIKBdVm58cCJh22KrTVxB59JN_gi6ufTtkB9k3L6XEW2vwIie6J6wI788gqvZ-ez5MyY9y29zEgczgDh_QSg0JYTasEe5Ei5vqnFOZERuOZGQ3gWXHCpLS56Nlz83zfLPzIscsg/s640/Huckster-Big+Mouth+Catherin+1890,+Danish+Royal+Library.tiff" height="400" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huckster, "Big Mouth Catherine", 1890 Danish Royal Library</td></tr>
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He reminded us that taking a picture in the 1800's meant that a subject would have had to stand still for several minutes often resulting in a certain "stiffness". Videotaping our actors gave another dimension of life: smiles, gestures, etc. I look forward to seeing how it all fits together in the film.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4Yv_7S-zN4xytmBZF8ZfdmEtNq9OV0JI4MlJ83Cvbq0bjavNVX4iXqCUsFxqIFfhraTvY45sNPcul4sDeApy7ApdnC5TzYatVN1alT2UZWbFbKsWgJUXUp1wla6GDy6CmUeguJzvGEw/s1600/Sayeeda+and+Oceana.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4Yv_7S-zN4xytmBZF8ZfdmEtNq9OV0JI4MlJ83Cvbq0bjavNVX4iXqCUsFxqIFfhraTvY45sNPcul4sDeApy7ApdnC5TzYatVN1alT2UZWbFbKsWgJUXUp1wla6GDy6CmUeguJzvGEw/s640/Sayeeda+and+Oceana.tiff" height="203" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sayeeda Carter and Oceana James as Hucksters for the film "The House That Freedom Built", July 2013</td></tr>
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<br />La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com3Christiansted, St. Croix 00820, USVI17.7466397 -64.70319770000003217.731516199999998 -64.723367700000026 17.7617632 -64.683027700000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-75075298469305093552013-07-09T19:11:00.002-07:002013-07-09T19:31:33.145-07:00Interview: Suzette Bough James of 6B Fisher Street<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOoPRCCYxREJE8q8IQiqefyTcmqm3Ms1Q-_RQdLtcvAchyuSVy5ooH1RMRZm1LnRKvGnCTlVdilFFTWFp6xtFWxe0IY6Da3ohPhMPJsFjU2P5g9yE1xK9xjC8JmiRU6-EYBRTnzmfh3A/s1600/suzettebough+james-house.tiff" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOoPRCCYxREJE8q8IQiqefyTcmqm3Ms1Q-_RQdLtcvAchyuSVy5ooH1RMRZm1LnRKvGnCTlVdilFFTWFp6xtFWxe0IY6Da3ohPhMPJsFjU2P5g9yE1xK9xjC8JmiRU6-EYBRTnzmfh3A/s1600/suzettebough+james-house.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6B Fisher Street, home of Suzette Bough James in Christiansted, St. Croix</td></tr>
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Her house actually feels like it's more on King Cross Street, but she said that because they seemed to mark the houses based on where the front door opens to, hers is marked as 6B Fisher St. I thought that was interesting. Suzette or Suzie as she is most preferably called comes from a large and well established Christiansted town family, the Boughs. She is a retired art teacher who was born and raised in Free Gut, or Hillside as the neighborhood is most commonly called by the generation who experienced its heyday in the 1940's-60's. Every time I interview someone from this generation I yearn to have lived in that time. It sounds like a magical era, where everyone knew each other, and loved each other and looked out for one another. A time where although people lived with far less materially, they seemed to have a lot more joy, more sense of community and more dedication to family. She describes the town as beautiful, well cared for and full of life.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suzette Bough James, resident of Free Gut, Christiansted</td></tr>
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When I asked her about the earliest memory of her house she told me a moving story about the day her mother died. She said she was five years old and she remembers walking into the house for the first time without her mother in it. She commented on the way the jalousie windows (wooden louvered windows) were open and that later neighbors had come by to comfort her.<br />
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Although the windows have changed, they are now glass louvered windows and covered with iron grill work to keep out the burglars (she's had a few over the last decade), the view has not changed. We stood there imagining this class of Freed Blacks looking at the same view of the ocean and wondering what they thought, what they felt. We both agreed that their view must have reflected back to them a sense of freedom and tranquility.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from "Hillside" at the home of Suzette Bough James</td></tr>
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La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-24550355113779684592013-07-03T16:52:00.001-07:002013-07-07T05:56:26.016-07:00Neighbors<br />
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The other day I was at the house and heard voices. I was surprised because most of the houses in the area are abandoned. When I went to see where the voices were coming from I was pleasantly surprised to see that the house just behind me had some people that were about to open it. Toney Prescot has just come back to St. Croix to start the renovation of his family property.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> My neighbor Toney on Prince St. He has just come home to renovate his family property.</td></tr>
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I was thrilled to meet he and his wife Rose and talk to them about my renovation project and the documentary. I was able to interview him today and collect his memories of growing up in the area. He is apparently family to the owners who preceded me and shared a lovely memory of "Auntie Dolly" as he called her. He talked about how most of the family had moved to the states, but that every time she came home the first thing Auntie Dolly would do when she arrived was go outside to look for and collect her "bush". It was a striking image of an elder returning home and looking for her "roots", literally.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toney's family property on Prince St., Christianted. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Normally the area is quiet because of the abandoned properties, but today it was a challenge for us to find a place to do Toney's interview. This was a good thing because all of the noise was construction noise. My neighbors on both sides and myself were busy renovating and working on our properties. It was good to see that. It was a wonderful affirmation on how the universe works. There is a synergy happening. One by one, house by house, Christiansted is coming alive again. La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-80662796440170677152013-06-23T11:24:00.001-07:002013-07-03T16:53:36.257-07:00A Wood House: Drama and Definition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The wooden part is the oldest part of the house. The concrete additions of a kitchen and bathroom were done later in the early 1900's. It is the wooden section that needs the most repair. Next week I meet with my carpenter who will be assisting me to figure out how much we can save and what absolutely must be replaced. This dilemma between renovation vs restoration has been a struggle and you have to ask a lot of questions, because in my experience, most carpenters will tell you to take the whole thing down and start again. They will tell you it will look better, last longer, that they don't like mixing new with old, that it will be more work, more expensive, and they will look at you like you are crazy when you ask them the same thing four times sometimes in the same way, sometimes in different ways, to see if you will get a different answer. The funny thing is that older materials were of higher quality, so you definitely want to try to save as much of it as possible. So it's funny when a carpenter tells you to throw 100% out when it's really 10, 25 or maybe even 50% that is damaged. And also funny enough (hah, hah, do you hear me laughing?) the older materials are also made at different measurements. So the older 4x4 beams are not really 4x4 beams but 3 and 1/2 also making it difficult to match old with new. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18B East St, Christiansted. The oldest part of the building, built in the late 1700's.</td></tr>
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At this point however, it looks like most of the supporting vertical beams have been compromised. You can see this in the picture from all of the horizontal beams that have been placed in between to try to brace the building. Despite this effort, it's sinking in some areas, leaning in others and so we will have to take up the floors, jacked up the part that is sinking and check the other supporting floor boards. In this process I will be able to ascertain how much of the original floor I can keep, if any, it's in pretty bad shape. The ship lapped wood (horizontal in blue) is also rotting. However, I will go board by board and try to save as much of this as possible too. </div>
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This will be the most costly part of the renovation. Wood although 100 years ago was cheap, today it's quite expensive and in the St. Croix, many people have moved away from building wooden homes because of the upkeep, pests and fear of hurricanes. But more than that, I think that wood houses have also because become synonymous with poverty. They remind us of an era many would prefer to forget. Yet what I find interesting is that many of these houses were also usually built by the hands of its inhabitants. They are handcrafted, which in our modern world of manufacturing and prefab is becoming less and less common. </div>
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I also find it interesting the words we use to describe wooden houses and how they denote different ideas. Shack, cottage, cabin, chattel house, board house, row house, beach house are all typically made of wood, but they all mean very different things. I'm not sure which one of these words best describes this house. It's obviously not a beach house or a cabin. I'm working on it to no longer be refereed to as a shack :). It's not a board house which typically means it was made with plywood. And although slaves lived there at different times in it's history, it's not really a chattel house either as it was owned by freed slaves in an area designated for freed slaves to live. So...I suppose it's somewhere between a cottage and a row house. Looking forward to seeing how it feels and fits on this continuum when it's done. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My amazing and always helping mother, Claudia Belle, helping out in clearing up the yard. We are trying to make it a little safer for the kids to be around. <u><br /></u></td></tr>
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<br />La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-39569109769295837202013-03-01T18:04:00.000-08:002013-03-06T18:28:20.425-08:00Richmond Prison: the "house" that freedom built<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richmond prison. St. Croix, VI</td></tr>
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Today I spent time in a prison. An open one, a forgotten one. One of the few prisons specifically built to house enslaved Africans, the prison in Richmond is our Robben Island. Built in 1834 it was constructed to control and punish the most rebellious of the enslaved, like our most infamous/famous freedom fighter General Buddhoe. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moses Gotlieb aka "General Buddhoe" lead the 1848 slave rebellion in St. Croix, Danish West Indies. He is on record as being imprisoned three times in the Richmond prison prior to this revolt. </td></tr>
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Although I received different dates, it seemed to have functioned as a prison until the late 60's. And then...slowly, like so much of our history we forgot it. Today, most people do not know that there was even a prison there. And of those that do, many do not know that it was a part of the colonial system.<br />
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While I was there we happened upon some bones in the courtyard. It
was the same courtyard that two hundred years ago enslaved people would
have been forced to work as their punishment, doing back-breaking tasks
like breaking rocks. I found in the courtyard bones of an abandoned horse that was left
tied to a tree. Someone just left the poor animal there. Perhaps they forgot it. I find
it to be an interesting metaphor.<br />
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La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-45495980816602662032013-02-24T19:45:00.000-08:002013-03-04T20:03:21.845-08:00"They loved their houses"<br />
One of the cool things about doing this project and having a website/blog is that people reach out to you. It has become a way that like minds and people interested in this field have found me. Last week I met with a Danish professor, Helle Stenum, who was visiting St. Croix and teaches cultural and migration studies at <a href="http://www.ruc.dk/en/" target="_blank">Roskilde University</a>. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helle Stenum, Danish professor of Culture and Identity</td></tr>
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<a class="rg_l" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://kunstoginterkultur.dk/assets/images/Artikler/2010/IMG_7165helle-stenum.jpg&imgrefurl=http://kunstoginterkultur.dk/vidensbase/artikler/helle-stenums-kronik&usg=__TENf5UniJ0I-z-hMQ4sbueUr4cc=&h=300&w=536&sz=23&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=frzAiu8RyDKYFM:&tbnh=168&tbnw=300&ei=puMxUdjXGo-i8ASOioG4DA&itbs=1&ved=1t:3588,r:0,s:0,i:64&iact=rc&dur=4836&sig=114975534937001657476&page=1&ndsp=1&tx=174&ty=37" style="height: 168px; left: 0px; width: 300px;">536 × 300</a></div>
<div class="rg_il" style="display: none;">
<a class="rg_l" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://kunstoginterkultur.dk/assets/images/Artikler/2010/IMG_7165helle-stenum.jpg&imgrefurl=http://kunstoginterkultur.dk/vidensbase/artikler/helle-stenums-kronik&usg=__TENf5UniJ0I-z-hMQ4sbueUr4cc=&h=300&w=536&sz=23&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=frzAiu8RyDKYFM:&tbnh=168&tbnw=300&ei=puMxUdjXGo-i8ASOioG4DA&itbs=1&ved=1t:3588,r:0,s:0,i:64&iact=rc&dur=4836&sig=114975534937001657476&page=1&ndsp=1&tx=174&ty=37" style="height: 168px; left: 0px; width: 300px;">536 × 300</a></div>
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She was interested in talking about my project and the links between Denmark and the Virgin Islands. I took her to see the house. I was commenting on the renovation and the craftsmanship in the buildings, specifically the beading that is found in the rafters and the siding. Many of this work was done by hand. Today machines can do this work, but it can be still expensive to reproduce. I chose not to replicate a lot of these details because of the time and expense, but am happy that the older part of the house still has some.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw4P6EHPvufdC_c9DbOue4FeYPaI8tSUjlIglK-eBRpB32-JU0fEz2IYN89kUQRor_kc_g_3yIUkQdyNDRMpgIv2GNLSlfePG9LerQPrw2a5tccfz0H1OTrXV9rzk3hvgFU_amH19WL4/s640/blogger-image--1530445133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw4P6EHPvufdC_c9DbOue4FeYPaI8tSUjlIglK-eBRpB32-JU0fEz2IYN89kUQRor_kc_g_3yIUkQdyNDRMpgIv2GNLSlfePG9LerQPrw2a5tccfz0H1OTrXV9rzk3hvgFU_amH19WL4/s400/blogger-image--1530445133.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vernacular details of Christiansted house. Hand-planed beading in exterior wall.</td></tr>
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She looked around and said, "They loved their houses". I paused. "Yes, they did," I responded. It was such profound moment for me. A simple realization. They. Loved. Their. Houses. The details, the craftsmanship, the time, the care: they loved them. To put those kinds of details in a simple 100-200 square foot house, shows a level of pride that is awe inspiring. Let us remember that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkomNaFZyCUUJuHoOjRNIWAqQsrDwyVvi7emlWnGAKkGN9Nr46HE48orr_Hc042WXT7xFfgq6mb9qSvvCp_GBtUgJl3XOwiu5Foix5pb4MEO-M1mXn6Hjw9pGmefi4HSR-xLSuLXf5Tk/s640/blogger-image-2019065935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkomNaFZyCUUJuHoOjRNIWAqQsrDwyVvi7emlWnGAKkGN9Nr46HE48orr_Hc042WXT7xFfgq6mb9qSvvCp_GBtUgJl3XOwiu5Foix5pb4MEO-M1mXn6Hjw9pGmefi4HSR-xLSuLXf5Tk/s400/blogger-image-2019065935.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vernacular details of 18B East Street. Hand-planed beading in rafter.</td></tr>
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<br />La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456741146124611767.post-25862054169443307332013-01-23T16:38:00.002-08:002013-01-23T16:38:34.107-08:00Happy New Year! Renovation UpdateIt's a New Year! 2012 was a challenging year. I am happy to welcome in 2013. This is the second long hiatus from this project, this time brought on by the birth of my third daughter: Maisara. I can't say that I'm back in full swing, but I'm swinging. So here's the update:<br />
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In October of 2012 I was able to put some money aside to fix the roof. Without the roof, I couldn't go forward on anything else and I knew it would be the most expensive part of the renovation. I was very anxious about finding the right person to do the job who was also within my budget. I spent about $1500 in labor and another $2500 in materials to redo the roof. I had originally anticipated taking off the gavaloom, maybe even reusing some, and putting the ceiling back on. It seems that the roof came off previously in a storm and they only put back the galvaloom without the interior ceiling. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2VaPCJSKYyjCeDuzmITRSbPKb-ZsRx7Wa1G0SUhX89ZaBXCQzq08BAdxyAlPvShLBoxwBllCDTDfKS5cIblTokM2QmnW42fWJmdztUMkfPM0orvA3-rkEeZaS37gYlUgK0c6fJL-mHg/s1600/photo+1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2VaPCJSKYyjCeDuzmITRSbPKb-ZsRx7Wa1G0SUhX89ZaBXCQzq08BAdxyAlPvShLBoxwBllCDTDfKS5cIblTokM2QmnW42fWJmdztUMkfPM0orvA3-rkEeZaS37gYlUgK0c6fJL-mHg/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18B: July 2011 after cleaning out most of the trash.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRjxXulT7zyCoYRggdQIecn2Ferq0Co12xGUeIwlThQzSoG-cnRjkaYgc3ue3EtCe9fcIotjWq4Jr8YM_v0AeDu113j3sMOND1M4rAC0jySe9LdwoQDaPAtGp7deMM1-X1UILoYUiKQw/s1600/photo+2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRjxXulT7zyCoYRggdQIecn2Ferq0Co12xGUeIwlThQzSoG-cnRjkaYgc3ue3EtCe9fcIotjWq4Jr8YM_v0AeDu113j3sMOND1M4rAC0jySe9LdwoQDaPAtGp7deMM1-X1UILoYUiKQw/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18B East Street: October 2011. Roof coming off.</td></tr>
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As it turns out when the workers started taking off the metal sheets, large chunks of the rafters were coming out with it (ie, I now had to replace the entire roof!) So I scrapped the original idea about reusing any metal sheets and just did the whole entire roof. Actually we did preserve the interior of the wooden section of the house. <br />
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Well the old adage in construction is very true: you get what you pay for! There are issues that need to be fixed and other issues that cannot be fixed. One thing though, the roof does not leak, but because of the pitch, even with holes it wasn't leaking before anyway, and probably never will. Will it stay on if we get another Hurricane Hugo? Not sure.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrzHljiw93dqK6FuCoSj4WnDLLm0oAxyS_Ol3UZlr-hNzrfV0JIFWd9GAWrGziKwThsnH4cmyFJsqnjtJKequIrGl3LXLPlG0DvqieeBAqSAYUVPLxw6wO68YYxEP4rUnx6wRpd5Ngmg/s1600/photo+3.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrzHljiw93dqK6FuCoSj4WnDLLm0oAxyS_Ol3UZlr-hNzrfV0JIFWd9GAWrGziKwThsnH4cmyFJsqnjtJKequIrGl3LXLPlG0DvqieeBAqSAYUVPLxw6wO68YYxEP4rUnx6wRpd5Ngmg/s400/photo+3.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18B East Street: Ceiling on, beams changed. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYpoRVcBqXQNIoSm1f0vogVZGS6zLdJkoTnKOAGDfKumi8bH2Qw5JLWJRiqsEzQsGLg5BJyGwNVXd5Qmv52CFpoJi1OTxLE6pXK0a3azFCYNZjCk8cAdYHtrDQECY_mgeiHH_UGe3oQ8/s1600/photo+4.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYpoRVcBqXQNIoSm1f0vogVZGS6zLdJkoTnKOAGDfKumi8bH2Qw5JLWJRiqsEzQsGLg5BJyGwNVXd5Qmv52CFpoJi1OTxLE6pXK0a3azFCYNZjCk8cAdYHtrDQECY_mgeiHH_UGe3oQ8/s400/photo+4.JPG" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18BEast Street: Ceiling and Roof on. Walls first coat of paint.</td></tr>
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According to one contractor (contractors always criticize other contractor's jobs) some areas are not tied down properly and the metal sheets were cut too short along the width of the building. When I spoke to the guys who did the job for me about these issues, their response was: "We put it back just how it was, that was the job". Unlucky for me I had already paid them. Lucky for me we are not in hurricane season and I can save some money later in the year to address some of the roof issues. So the roof is done (for the most part) and the ceiling painted (which I did myself thank you). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQUHzSezECAa3rgQWNYUn3tQLK9WQSBbaoXctnTiMM6cuaLodp-VKkOuBSMd7HtjRgHj3vx1Y-_DiTgn9ibeAMrocLoIEVLIutKGdbFQ9N2YSPL6qpBOseKL66-MAcOH0xZ6-TIT1VII/s1600/photo+5.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQUHzSezECAa3rgQWNYUn3tQLK9WQSBbaoXctnTiMM6cuaLodp-VKkOuBSMd7HtjRgHj3vx1Y-_DiTgn9ibeAMrocLoIEVLIutKGdbFQ9N2YSPL6qpBOseKL66-MAcOH0xZ6-TIT1VII/s400/photo+5.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18B East Street: January 2013. Ceiling and walls painted. Second coat on walls needed.</td></tr>
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Next is to finish paint the walls and deal with the floors. Because this is going to be my studio, I am going to simply stain the concrete floors in a dark color and seal them. After the floors will be the shutters and plumbing. The next major expense will be to address the wooden section of the building, which needs the supporting beams changed, the floor changed and addressing termites. There is sooo much to do and I feel pressure to finish soon because the documentary is tied to the renovation and the funding I received has a deadline. Curiously, I was able to get some funding to tell this story, but nothing to renovate the building. So here we are. I do what I can do on the renovation as finances allow. La Vaughn Bellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353373528257083239noreply@blogger.com3