The Chateau Margot Chimney is dated July 1, 1889, and is located at the front of Chateau Margot on the East Coast of Demerara.
It is the solitary remains of a former sugar factory which, according to a description from the weekly Argosy of 1883, “boasted the finest cane land in the colony of British Guiana during the nineteenth century, operating successfully on the vacuum pan process for many years.”
The chimney was constructed by Antonio Gordon, a bricklayer from Buxton. It stands on a huge concrete base of red bricks.
In addition to its industrial function as part of the sugar factory, the chimney also served as a beacon to ships approaching Port Georgetown even after the factory was demolished, still being cited in the Caribbean Shipping Association’s landmarks for Georgetown along with the lighthouse beacon.
Still standing today, this site represents an aspect of our industrial heritage, and a very important milestone – appearing in many poems including Rooplall Monar’s collection, “Koker”. Above all, it is part of our heritage, and we are called upon to make a special effort to preserve what has been left by our ancestors as a legacy of their hard work and sacrifice.
To this end, the National Trust of Guyana, in keeping with its mandate to preserve and promote our historic monuments and sites, has cleared the environs of the chimney, making it easily accessible to visitors. (Source: Trust News, Vol. 7. Issue 1, April 2008)
