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.

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.