A million thanks to Bruce Pinder of Da Salty Pig Adventures in Spanish Wells for allowing me to share these photos of GTC’s New Plymouth settlement with you.
As you can see, the devastation is widespread, and the residents of Green Turtle Cay (as well as the Abaco mainland, other Abaco cays and Grand Bahama) will need all the support they can get in the weeks, months and years ahead. Please help if you can. Here’s how.
Other Shore Club/Pineapples
Settlement Creek – BTC tower and Amy Roberts Primary School roof can be seen top right
Captain Sam’s at left
The Cash home
L-R – Cash house, Sea Heart, John Lowe Center and the Curry home/Island Property Mgmt
Right to Left: Shorty’s Cottage, Ma Mazie’s, Papa Pete’s
Back of Roland Roberts House (left) and the cottage formerly known as Pink Pearl/Momo’s
Facing east toward the school along Parliament Street – yellow house is the Roland Roberts House (one of only a handful of buildings to survive the 1932 hurricane) and peach building further down is the Miracle Church of God
Facing east along Parliament Street – at right foreground is the Post Office/Customs building
Building at left (above) is the Albert Lowe Museum. We are very concerned about the broken upstairs window visible at the top left of this photo. Beneath that window is the museum’s photograph room, which holds many historic, irreplaceable images. I know that feeding and housing people has to come first, but if anyone could kindly board up that window, all of those involved with the museum would be incredibly grateful.
At far left is the back of the New Plymouth Inn.
The Treasure Chest Gift Shop (left) and New Plymouth Hardware (right) have been completely destroyed.
The Treasure Chest Gift Shop is at near left, with the Memorial Sculpture Garden and Golden Reef Apartments beyond
Many of the busts of the Memorial Sculpture Garden remain intact, but the centerpiece, sculpted by the late James Mastin, was damaged. Whether it can be repaired remains to be seen.
Gardens of the New Plymouth Inn
The view west along Parliament Street – Golden Reef Apartments and St. Peter’s Thrift Shop are at right.
Lowe’s Food Store
Gospel Chapel
The Sawyer home
The peach-coloured building at left is Roberts’ Hardware. Yellow building center of photo is Sid’s Groceries.
Sid’s Groceries’ Warehouse
Traditional island homes
The Sawyer home
The roof at center-right is the covered patio at Sundowners. Sadly, the enclosed part of the restaurant was destroyed.
Summer Breeze, home of our property managers. Sadly, their home has been destroyed and they have lost everything. Our hearts are broken for them, and for all our friends and family on Green Turtle Cay.
West end of the New Plymouth settlement – dinghy dock (at right) is gone
“Under the Buttonwood Tree” House
The Bahama Seas, a local crawfishing vessel, was blown ashore
One of many damaged or destroyed docks
St. Peter’s Anglican Church
Catechist Reckley Hall at St. Peter’s did not survive the storm
Dor-Will House
In the center of this photo is what remains of a cork tree that is very special to the people of Green Turtle Cay. Many of us played beneath it as children. Let’s hope our tree can rally one more time.
At left is the back of Hubert’s Cuts & Curls/home of Hubert Pinder, and at right is the back of the building that until recently housed Native Creations. The latter is one of the oldest remaining buildings on Green Turtle Cay, constructed during the American Civil War to store cotton smuggled from the American south destined for England.
Back of the Gospel Chapel Hall
In the background of this photo are the rears of the Golden Reef Apartments (turquoise building) and Lowe’s Food Store (far right)
Thank you again to Bruce Pinder for permitting me to use these images. I’m getting a lot of requests for photos taken beyond the New Plymouth Settlement (e.g., at Gilliam Bay, in Bethel Estates and the north end of the cay.) Many of our residents and second homeowners who weren’t on the cay during the storm are desperate to see images of how their homes have fared.
Thank you for sharing this heartbreaking pictures, those of us who had visited there many times are crushed, and doing what we can to assist the wonderful people who are affected.
I’m so saddened to see all the destruction. We were planning our first visit to Green Turtle Cay next January. Do you have any information about Bluff House. I am sending money for the victims.
Please give Mandy, Dale, Ronnie Sawyer, his daughter and family a big hello for me and also let them know my email and phone if I can help them….239-470-1706….ahoffacker33901@gmail.com
Thanks so much for sharing these photos and thanks so much to Bruce Pinder! I will forward to many family members, if that’s okay, who are spread far and wide who keep asking for updates on certain landmarks etc. Really appreciate it! Much love to Green Turtle cay. Carolyn Lowe Cartwright Granddaughter of George Lambert Lowe
Can someone take close up photos of Abaco yacht services seen one drone video however it only shows
the front by the road and not the boats at the other end of the rows. Thankyou
Thank you for posting these photos. Here in the states it’s been hard to find any of Green Turtle Cay.
My heart aches but I’m grateful that every one is safe.
Thank you again.
Susie Hilditch Colello
Topsy Turtle GTC
It is painful to see the terrible damage on Green Turtle Cay – As a lifelong Historic Preservation professional, please let me urge restraint in demolishing structures that hold the culture and history of New Plymouth in their old bones. This is not yet the time, I know, but save what can possibly be saved and restored to keep the GTC heritage and cultural roots intact. Please contact me when y’all are ready and I will volunteer my personal skills and additional financial assistance by doing inspections and helping to triage damaged structures and propose proper repairs. – Todd Dickinson
Thank you for sharing this heartbreaking pictures, those of us who had visited there many times are crushed, and doing what we can to assist the wonderful people who are affected.
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Amanda, what about Fish Hooks?
I’m so saddened to see all the destruction. We were planning our first visit to Green Turtle Cay next January. Do you have any information about Bluff House. I am sending money for the victims.
Many thanks for sending along all the photos of our beloved Green Turtle Cay.
Please give Mandy, Dale, Ronnie Sawyer, his daughter and family a big hello for me and also let them know my email and phone if I can help them….239-470-1706….ahoffacker33901@gmail.com
Thanks so much for sharing these photos and thanks so much to Bruce Pinder! I will forward to many family members, if that’s okay, who are spread far and wide who keep asking for updates on certain landmarks etc. Really appreciate it! Much love to Green Turtle cay. Carolyn Lowe Cartwright Granddaughter of George Lambert Lowe
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Can someone take close up photos of Abaco yacht services seen one drone video however it only shows
the front by the road and not the boats at the other end of the rows. Thankyou
How did Fish Hooks fare, Amanda? Regards, Steve Albury
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My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you.
Can you tell me how Lincoln Jones’ house faired?
Thank you for posting these photos. Here in the states it’s been hard to find any of Green Turtle Cay.
My heart aches but I’m grateful that every one is safe.
Thank you again.
Susie Hilditch Colello
Topsy Turtle GTC
Please help me know if Pastor Johnny Lowe is ok. How can I get in touch with him?
I’m keen to find out if Wally Davis is OK please. He used to run the New Plymouth Inn where I’ve spent several holidays. Thank you.
It is painful to see the terrible damage on Green Turtle Cay – As a lifelong Historic Preservation professional, please let me urge restraint in demolishing structures that hold the culture and history of New Plymouth in their old bones. This is not yet the time, I know, but save what can possibly be saved and restored to keep the GTC heritage and cultural roots intact. Please contact me when y’all are ready and I will volunteer my personal skills and additional financial assistance by doing inspections and helping to triage damaged structures and propose proper repairs. – Todd Dickinson
Thank you so much. We’ve been so worried. What about Miss Emily’s?