The National Monuments of Sierra Leone, in West Africa, are proclaimed in accordance with the Monuments and Relics Ordinance of 1947 with Dr Macormack Charles Farrell Easmon serving as the first chairman of the Monuments and Relics Commission. Eighteen National Monuments have been proclaimed, although two have since been demolished. Sierra Leone accepted the UNESCO World Heritage Convention in 2005, but is yet to nominate a site for inscription. A three-year research project funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council in the late 2000s investigated the "object diaspora" of movable Sierra Leonean cultural properties in the context of European museums and has led to the creation of a digital resource relating to the country's cultural heritage. The sites are maintained by the Sierra Leonean Monuments and Relics Commission, a branch of the country's Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
The two National Monuments that are no longer traceable were both in Freetown. They were a fireplace removed from a now demolished building and some military butts (shooting ranges).
Site Location Founded Proclaimed Location Description Bunce Island Sierra Leone River 17th century 1948 Site of an 18th-century British slave castle on Bunce Island. Heddle's Farm Freetown 1820 1948 Prominent residence, now in ruins, that was owned by several notable colonial families. De Ruyter Stone Freetown 1664 1948 An inscribed rock left by Dutch Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, Freetown's oldest monument. Bastions of Fort Thornton Freetown 1805 1949 Fortifications on Tower HillEarthworks and Live Stockade at Masakpaidu Kono District c.1800 1949 An abandoned fortified village that was founded before the arrival of Europeans.Gateway to the King’s Yard Freetown 1817 1949 Gateway through which ex-slaves entered the settlement of Freetown. Ruins of John Newton’s House and slave barracoons Moyamba District 1725 1949 Site of the slaver settlement founded by John Newton.Cleveland Tombstone Moyamba District 1791 1950 Near Shenge An 18th century European gravestone.Old Wharf Steps and Guard House Freetown 1818–9 1953 Early 19th century stairs leading down to Government wharf. Old city boundary guns Freetown c.1800 1953 1# 2# No longer visisble3# Three 18th Century cannons that probably came from a condemned slave ship Old Fourah Bay College building Freetown 1845–8 1955 The 19th century four-storey building at Fourah Bay College developed into the first University College in Africa. St. John's Maroon Church Freetown 1820 1956 It is built from the ship timbers that brought the first Jamaican Maroons to Freetown. St Charles' Church and King’s Yard wall Regen Village 1816 1959 The oldest stone church in Sierra Leone and the third oldest in Africa.Firing point and guns near Old Wharf Dublin, Banana Islands 18th & 19th century 1956 Early British fortifications against pirates that were established 80 years before Freetown. Martello Tower Freetown 1805 1961 Built to counter any threat from Napoleon. Grave of Captain Lendy Kono District 1893 1965 Burial site of a British officer who was accidentally killed during a conflict with the Wassoulou Empire.
See also History of Sierra Leone List of heritage registers Art repatriation UNESCO General History of Africa
References
External links National Monuments of Sierra Leone Cultural Policy in Sierra Leone (UNESCO)