A beacon along the East Coast circa 1806 was first used as a guide, for ships and vessels, toward the Demerara River.  In 1817 the Dutch constructed the first lighthouse. It was a wooden structure, as were many of the early lighthouses in the world, illuminated by an oil lamp.

By the  1830’s  a new lighthouse was constructed by the British.  This sturdy brick building is classified as a shore station built  to withstand strong winds as opposed to other lighthouses which are constructed off shore.The lighthouse  is surmounted by an iron gallery which is ascended  by a flight of  one hundred and thirty eight stairs. In the gallery there is a large 1000 watt bulb, which replaced a floating light that  was first installed in the lighthouse soon after its construction. This powerful ray of light is visible for a distance of  30 - 40 miles at sea. 

For 172  years this structure has withstood the test of time. It once gazed down upon Fort William Frederick (the present site of the Transport & Harbours Department) and the gallows where enslaved Africans were hung for refusing to be  docile tools under the system of slavery.

Mr. Edward Green, Assistant  Secretary General of Caricom, delivered the feature address and Minister of Culture, Youth  and Sport, The Honourable Ms. Gail Teixeira declared the exhibition open. On display were a number of photographs, sculptures and literature depicting Guyana’s rich African heritage.

Three brochures on Fort Zeelandia and the Court of Policy, the Damon Monument and Heritage Site Visitor Rules were launched in October 2002 as part of a public awareness campaign to sensitize Guyanese of the nation’s patrimony. 1000 copies of each brochure were  printed and are available free of cost  at the Trust.
30 Years of Conserving  the Nation’s Patrimony
A newspaper supplement was published on 29 September in the Sunday Chronicle to sensitize the public of  the activities of the Trust. Included in the supplement were a  statement by the Minister of Culture, Youth & Sport, Ms. Gail Teixeira, a brief history of the Trust, Conservation  and the Community and readings of our architectural heritage.

Heritage Week 2002
The National Trust of Guyana celebrated Heritage Week, 23 - 27 September 2002, to sensitize Guyanese of the need for the conservation of places and structures of historic interest for the benefit of future generations.

Mr. Malcom Browne was awarded a contract for the construction and installation of interpretive signs to guide visitors at  Fort Nassau, which is regarded as one of the most pristine historical sites in Guyana.

Conservation Officer, Allyson Stoll,  attended a workshop in St. Kitts over the period 24 - 28 June 2002.  The workshop was sponsored by the  Organization of American States  in St. Kitts to promote Heritage Tourism  in the Caribbean.

During the month of October the Trust assisted the IWOKRAMA Ranging Training Programme by providing three days of instruction in Genera History and Governance in Guyana to 12 local youth enrolled in the course.

Conservation Officer, Allyson Stoll also attended a five day seminar on Field Archaeology at Iwokrama. The course was conducted by Archaeologist Dr. Mark Plew of Boise State University, USA. The prehistory of the Iwokrama conservation area was discussed in detail and the remarkable Kurupukari petroglyph and polissoir sites were documented. 

The National Trust of Guyana launched an exhibition to commemorate Heritage Week 2002 on 23 September 2002 at the office of the Trust. Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Ms. Gail Teixeira delivered the main  speech and declared the exhibition open. On display were a number of  photographs representative of our diverse architectural heritage.   The exhibition culminated on 24 October 2002.

The Ebenzer Lutheran Church at New Amsterdam is referred to as the ‘Mother church of Protestant Christendom in Guyana.’ It is reputededly the oldest Lutheran Church in South America. The first congregation of the Lutheran Church was organized on 15 October 1743 at the residence of Mr. Ladwig R. Abbesentts at Plantation La Solitude, a short distance from Fort Nassau on the Berbice River.

Following the organization of the congregation, the members applied to the consistory in Amsterdam, Holland for the appointment of a Reverend and for a building for religious instruction. On 15 October 1752 Reverend John Kendrick arrived at Fort Nassau.

The first services were  held in the spacious mansion of Jan Rijman. Some years later a church was erected in the environs of  the Fort Nassau complex. The Lutheran Church and its buildings were the only structures to survive the revolt of the enslaved Africans in 1763.

When the present town of New Amsterdam was laid out, the church was dismantled, placed on punts and floated down the Berbice River in 1779. Things were not always bright for the church as records indicate that there were eleven members; four males and seven females in 1866.  The church was without a resident pastor since 1799 when, the last of the Dutch Clergies, Reverend H. W. P. Jumius died. The Lutheran brethren in Surinam were  asked to allow their pastor to administer Holy Communion once per month. In 1876 Reverend J. R. Mittelholzer, after repeated trips from Surinam, was confirmed as the Resident Reverend of the church, where he served until his death in 1913.

The wooden structure which was transported from Fort Nassau incorporated many Romanesque features with wooden arches above the windows, a small octagonal tower and a steeply pitched gabled roof.

Over the door way the Latin words ‘Soli Deo Gloria’(to the glory of God) were inscribed as a reminder to the rich history of the structure. In 1964 this wooden church was replaced with  a modern ferro concrete  building. The new Ebenezer Lutheran Church was designed by  the architectural firm of Mence & Moore under the direction of Mr. Patrick Barnes.

A church that was originally intended to serve a congregation of Dutch planters eventually became one which would provide service to all Guyanese. On Sunday, 26 July 1964, the sun shone brilliantly as  pastors, members of the administrative council, church council, choir and congregation wended their way  across the quadrangle of Lutheran Courts; from the old place of worship, the parish hall to the new ferro concrete structure for the service of dedication.