Origin of Coalition to Save Clifton
The Coalition To Save Clifton was formed in 1999 to preserve Clifton as a national heritage site. Once the fight to save Clifton was underway, the natural beauty of Clifton began to emerge and The Coalition began agitating for the creation of a land and sea park. History
When we say Clifton, what comes to mind? Artifacts left behind by the Bahamas’ first settl
ers: the Lucayans? Flora and fauna used by individuals who came to the Bahamas as Loyalists? Infrastructure that better tells the story of our African ancestors? If you answered any of the three, you’d be correct. You see, The Clifton land site was, at different points in Bahamian history, home to three distinct civilizations: the Lucayans, the Loyalists and The African slaves. In the late 1780’s the Clifton site was granted by the British Crown to John Wood (450 acres), Thomas Ross (150 acres) and Lewis Johnson (190 acres). Through a succession of owners, the site was bought by Nassoaks Ltd. In 1989 the Bahamas Government exercised eminent domain and compulsorily acquired 208.41 acres for the development of a sea port to replace the downtown sea port. As a result of historical research and archaeological digs it was discovered that Clifton was a multi-habitation site stemming from the Pre-historic era until the 1940’s, accommodating Lucayan, Pre-Loyalist, Emancipation and early 20th century residents. In fact, other than Clifton, there is no other site in the Bahamas that can boast of being peopled by three separate civilizations (the Lucayans, Loyalists and Africans) at different times in the same space. Clifton therefore has significant cultural, environmental, historical, social and economic potential benefits to the Bahamas which needed to be explored and developed. The archaeological sites that date from the 10th to 15th centuries along with the village-sized settlements and historic structures, may qualify Clifton as a World Heritage Site, with all that this designation brings.
