Three very different corners of the world—Trinidad and Tobago, Northern Ireland, and the American Midwest—found themselves at the intersection of history and heritage this week, as each grappled with the meaning and preservation of iconic landmarks. From the removal of a controversial statue in Port of Spain to a dramatic rockfall at the Giant’s Causeway and a nationwide celebration of lighthouses in the United States, these events have stirred reflection, debate, and even celebration.
In Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, the Christopher Columbus statue that had stood at the corner of Duncan Street and Independence Square was removed late on August 6, 2025. According to Newsday, the removal was orchestrated by the Port of Spain City Corporation after an announcement by Mayor Chinua Alleyne just days earlier, on August 1. The process began at approximately 10 pm, a strategic move designed to minimize traffic disruption in the bustling capital. The statue, which has long been a focal point of controversy and protest, was taken down following an on-site technical assessment and a series of consultations with key stakeholder organizations, including the Santa Rosa First People's Community, the Warao First People, the Caribbean Freedom Project, the National Trust, and the Emancipation Support Committee TT.
The removal itself was conducted under the careful guidance of heritage architect Rudylynn DeFour-Roberts. The statue is now in the custody of the National Trust and, as announced by Mayor Alleyne, will be made available to the National Museum and Art Gallery. This move marks the first phase of the monument’s removal, with further technical assessments planned to determine how best to safely dismantle the remaining parts of the structure.
The moment was more than just a logistical feat; it was deeply symbolic. Grand Chief Eric Lewis of the First Natives Sovereign Nation led a smoke cleansing ceremony at the site after the statue’s removal, a ritual meant to reconcile and heal the wounds of the past. “We were not at the site to forget the ills against our ancestors but to reconcile and heal those ills by removal of things like the Columbus statue from the environment,” Lewis said, according to Newsday. He also suggested that the statue of indigenous chief Baucunar could one day take Columbus’s place, signaling a shift toward honoring the island’s original inhabitants.
The Cross Rhodes Freedom Project, a group that had long advocated for the statue’s removal, spent the night celebrating. Its director, Shabaka Kambon, described the event as “fantastic” and said the group was “up all night celebrating.” The group is already looking forward to further developments, with hopes that this historic change will inspire similar actions in other Caribbean nations—particularly the Bahamas. In fact, the Cross Rhodes Freedom Project has called on Bahamian authorities to pardon Shervandaze “Michael the Archangel” Smith, who was convicted of damaging a Columbus statue in the Bahamas. The group has even threatened legal action if their request is not granted.
Lewis expressed satisfaction at the swift action, noting that they had planned to remove the statue themselves before August 9 if officials had not done so. “They hit the deadline before us because on August 9, we will be having our smoke ceremony at the Parliament and there is also going to be a nice smoke, cleaning and ancestral ceremony,” he said. He also paid tribute to the late calypsonian Lutalo “Brother Resistance” Masimba, who had been a vocal advocate for the statue’s removal.
While Port of Spain was busy rewriting its own history, nature was at work in Northern Ireland. On August 8, 2025, a small rockfall occurred in the Loom area at the back of the Giant’s Causeway, one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic natural wonders. According to the BBC, visitors watched as rocks crumbled from a section of the famous basalt columns, prompting authorities to temporarily cordon off the affected area. The National Trust, which manages the site, was coincidentally conducting coin removal work that day—an ongoing effort to extract coins wedged into the rock by tourists from around the world, as these can put pressure on the ancient formations.
Despite the timing, the National Trust was quick to clarify that the rockfall was not linked to the coin removal activities. “As a dynamic site, rockfalls do occasionally occur at the World Heritage Site,” a spokesperson explained. The Giant’s Causeway, with its 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, was formed by an outpouring of basalt lava some 60 million years ago. It is Northern Ireland’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and enjoys several other important designations, underscoring its global significance.
The Giant’s Causeway has long captured the imagination of both scientists and storytellers. While geologists point to the site’s volcanic origins, local legend attributes its creation to the mythical Irish giant Finn McCool. The site continues to attract visitors from around the globe, and the National Trust’s stewardship is central to preserving this natural marvel for future generations.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States used National Lighthouse Day on August 7, 2025, to shine a spotlight on 14 “must see” lighthouses. Among them is the Big Bay Point Light Station in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, perched atop a bluff overlooking Lake Superior. Built in 1896-97, the lighthouse once housed two families in its redbrick duplex dwelling. The original third-order Fresnel lens, crafted in France, went into service in October 1896, casting its light from a focal plane 89 feet above the lake’s surface.
Though the light was automated in 1941 and sold two decades later, the keeper’s quarters now serve as a five-room bed-and-breakfast. Guests can experience a taste of lighthouse life, while the public can join guided tours on Sundays from June to September. Tours are limited to six people over the age of ten and cost $10 per person—a nod to both exclusivity and preservation.
National Lighthouse Day marks the anniversary of the 1789 Congressional Act that established lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers in the United States. The Trust’s list of favorites includes lighthouses from coast to coast: from New Dungeness Light Station in Washington to Heceta Head Lighthouse in Oregon, Point Reyes and Pigeon Point in California, and as far east as Boston Light and Nantucket Lightship LV-112 in Massachusetts. Each lighthouse has its own story—some still guiding mariners, others serving as museums or bed-and-breakfasts—but all stand as testaments to the nation’s maritime heritage.
In a world where the meaning of landmarks is constantly evolving, these stories serve as reminders of the ongoing dialogue between past and present, nature and culture, preservation and change. Whether it’s the removal of a statue, the unpredictable shifts of a natural wonder, or the celebration of beacons that once guided sailors home, the week’s events highlight the ways in which communities honor, challenge, and reinterpret their histories—one monument at a time.
