Location: Stabroek, Georgetown
Classification: Commemorative Monument
Period/ Year Built: 1966
Historical Background / Description:
The Independence Arch is located at the eastern end of Brickdam, Stabroek, Georgetown. The arch was unveiled on May 22, 1966, by Prime Minister of British Guiana, Mr. Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham to commemorate the British colony’s achievement of its Independence status. The arch was one of two arches donated by the Demerara Bauxite Company (DEMBA) as a gift to the Guyanese people; the first was located in Ruimveldt.
The monument which sits opposite a National Monument (the 1763 Monument) was designed by Canadian architect, Mr. Eric Flack and was built of mainly local materials; the aluminium that was used to form the arches was sourced from the Alumina Plant which operated out of the ward of Mackenzie in the town now known as Linden. The three arches which represent the three counties of the country are supported by six columns, conjoined together into groups of three (two pairs), each pair designed to serve as the base of the structure. The six columns it should be noted represent the six races of the country. The arch today is more than 50 years old and serves as a national reminder of the country’s achievement of independence.
