The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda

06/09/2026

Archives Day

Happy International Archives Day! Today and everyday, we celebrate the work of archives and archivists around the world and the important roles they play in our societies. We believe archives are powerful tools that can provide a better understanding of history, culture and heritage while promoting accountability and transparency.

Have you checked out our introductory guide to tracing ancestral roots in Trinidad and Tobago? It includes a summary of tips and genealogical resources to help you begin your family history research at home.

We encourage you to start the process by documenting the information you already know and by interviewing relatives who may have more family knowledge. It’s also important to keep a personal archive of family memorabilia, such as photos, postcards, newspaper clippings, birth/marriage/death certificates, etc. which may give you unique clues into your family’s past.

Once you have sufficient information, try building a family tree and filling in the gaps as you do more research. For reference, we’ve included a basic outline of a family tree on Page 4 of the Introductory Guide.

You may find other sources of information in the official records of governments, cemeteries, archival institutions and libraries. See Pages 8-11 of our Introductory Guide for some general information on official records and where they can be located.

𝐓𝐨 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐭 #𝟏𝟎𝟓 𝐒𝐭. 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲, 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲-𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟖:𝟑𝟎𝐚𝐦-𝟒:𝟎𝟎𝐩𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟖:𝟑𝟎𝐚𝐦-𝟑:𝟒𝟓𝐩𝐦. 𝐓𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬@𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬.𝐠𝐨𝐯.𝐭𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Click this link to access the Introductory Guide: https://bit.ly/37oNTVz

Copyright ©️ The National Archives of Trinidad & Tobago. All rights reserved.

06/09/2026

Canons at Fort James, with the Sleeping Indian in the back ground.c.1940

06/09/2026

Views of Fort James.

05/18/2026

The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda proudly joins the global observance of International Museums Day 2026 under the theme “Museums Uniting a Divided World.” The Museum recognizes the important role museums play in promoting understanding, preserving cultural heritage and bringing communities together through education and shared experiences. Through its exhibitions, educational programmes, community outreach and preservation of Antigua and Barbuda’s history, the Museum continues to create spaces for dialogue, learning and national pride while encouraging appreciation for the diverse stories that shape our nation and connect people across generations and cultures.
Support the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda.

05/14/2026

Potsworks Dam

The reservoir is named after an 18th century pottery works at Garden Estate, which was owned by the Codrington family from the early 18th to the end of the 20th century.

A part of the dam was built over the site of the pottery works and a 19th century bridge. Skilled potters who were slaves, using a wheel and kiln technology, made sugar pots here. The main product was a conical sugar pot used for draining molasses from
Raw sugar.

Potsworks reservoir is the largest expanse of freshwater in the Eastern Caribbean It is about a mile long and half a mile wide. It covers an area of about 320 acres and holds one-billon gallons of water when full. Two dams hold this water; the largest is the Potsworks Dam on the eastern side and the Delaps dam on the south. The Potsworks dam was planned in the late 1960’s, and while work was underway in 1968, only 24 inches of rain fell during the entire year.

Potworks dam was officially opened in 1970, and there is a small monument to the west of the dam commemorating this event. In 1974, when there was no rainfall, the dam served the country’s water supply. In September of 1984, 5.58 inches of rain fell ending a drought, and 20 million gallons of water was caught in the dam.

Interesting species of birds can be seen around the western edge of the reservoir:

the West Indian whistling duck, snowy egret, and the cattle egret, Osprey, Great Blue Heron, Black Crowned Night Heron, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, West Indian Whistling Duck, White Cheeked Pintail, Blue Winged Teal (Winter time), Common Gallinule, Killdeer, Great Yellow Legs, Black faced Grass Quit, Grey Kingbird, Yellow Warbler.