Wildey House of Barbados
Wildey House in Barbados, built circa 1760 is a classic Caribbean Georgian style house and sits on about five acres of woods and gardens.
The house is an architectural gem with full length sash windows all around the floors. Sash windows consisting of three panels are one of the few examples of this style remaining in Barbados.
Another unique feature is that all the windows and doors have outer wooden louvered shutters and full length hurricane shutters with inside wooden bars which are stored within the coral stone walls for storage. Wooden bell pelmets complete the window treatments.
Wildey House is the headquarters of the Barbados National Trust which was established in Barbados in 1961 as a not-for-profit charity for the preservation of places of historic and architectural interest and natural beauty.
Ground Floor of the Wildey House:
This floor is opened to the public and is filled with antique Barbadian mahogany and other imported furniture and Persian carpets of an earlier era.
The entrance hall and ‘Long Room Furniture’ minus the gamut of a mid-19th Century mahogany pedestal drum table, two single ended, couches, with tulip legs and one with an 1820’s scalloped back and brown inserts and coasters.
This room is also fitted with small tables of all descriptions and time periods. There is also an 1830’s Victorian priedieu chair, an 1835 William 1V armchair and an 1830 carved and caned Bergere chair!
The tables are covered with Minton plates and other pieces in the style.
There are imposing bookcases – one an early 19th century piece, cut down from a much larger piece. The other has glass doors with Gothic tracery. A Barbadian mahogany sideboard with a carved back, an oval backed (balloon) chair from the Victorian era – and a curved card table in Georgian style completes the furnishings in this room.
The drawing room, the dining room and the library are all filled with English antique pieces, unusual sterling silver collections displayed in unnatural cabinets and sideboards. There are Berbice chairs, lalique pieces, chime miniatures of ceramic, jade and ivory. There is a chinese screen of rosewood with ivory and mother of pearl inlays.
Come visit the Wildey House of Barbados and see for yourself!
Days of operation: Monday to Friday
Open From: 9:00 a.m – 4:00 p.m
Donations accepted.
