MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
New - but old-style - look for historic Stanley building
THE Old Central Store in Stanley's dockyard is undergoing a face-lift.
The Store was built in the summer of 1843/44 and was one of the first buildings to be constructed on the site of the new town of Stanley, Falkland Islands.
Archivist Jane Cameron says it is probably the oldest surviving wooden building in the whole of southern South America, as Patagonia had not been settled by Europeans at that date.
Until a few years ago the Central Store was still used for its original purpose and remained largely as described in the Government Buildings Book of 1855: "This is a strongly framed wooden building of two storeys and a loft undivided, 70 feet long by 30 feet wide. Ladders for communicating with the upper storeys, counters and shelves for the various stores and machinery for hoisting packages are the only fittings..."
Some internal alterations were made about five years ago to accommodate offices for the Public Works Department but, Jane says, disturbance to the main structure was minimised, so that the building could easily be returned to its original layout.
"Most of the important internal features remain - the trapdoors and block and tackle ? for hoisting packages' - the massive pillars of timber on the ground floor - the rows of brass numbers let into the wooden boards of the first floor, for measuring lengths of ships' chain.
"Surprisingly, the roof was originally ?Galvanised iron', an early use of this newly-invented material."
The old shingles, when analysed, were found to be manio wood from Chile. Jane says, "They have lasted extraordinarily well, only failing now because they were attached with iron nails which have rusted and split the wood."
The new shingles (more properly known as ?shakes', because they are hand split, which gives the characteristic uneven finish) are made of Canadian red cedar and were imported from Britain.
"Because of the historic significance of the building it was originally hoped that replacements could be obtained from Chile, but the necessary fire-retardant treatments were not available from this source," Jane says.
The new shakes are being attached with stainless steel nails, so that the old problem with rusting will not re-occur.
The shakes were paid for from Historic Buildings funding and the work of replacement is being carried out in association with the Public Works Department.
Rob Yssel and Colin Browning are placing the new shakes on the building while the PWD's Property and Municipal Section is working to replace the building's windows and staircase.
In the future it is planned that the Museum will be re-located to the Dockyard, so that the Old Central Store, along with the other historic structures which surround it, can become a focus for visitors to Stanley and, as Jane says, "...these buildings can be appreciated as they deserve." (PN)
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