The conversion of Fort San Andres at South Quay in Port of Spain to a museum is only the first step taken by the curator of the National Museum, Vel Lewis.

He hopes to develop a National Museum Service that would oversee efforts aimed at protecting and preserving the nation's historic buildings, artifacts, documents and photographs.

In fact, Lewis is aiming to convert the present museum system to one that would act as "a sort of head office for municipal museums" in areas like San Fernando, Lopinot, Toco, La Brea and Scarborough.

At his Frederick Street office last Thursday, Lewis discussed his plans, which he said have received the full backing of the Culture Ministry and Cabinet.

The current restoration work being carried out on Fort San Andres has been going on intermittently since 1996. Since the start of this year, however, work has been continuing with steady funding from the Culture Ministry's Budget Committee.

Lewis is aiming to restore the building to the way it looked back in 1845 and he hopes for the restoration to be completed by the middle of next year.

"The woodwork and the beams need the most work and we are trying to find good lumber so that later on, any work that needs to be done will just be at the maintenance level," he said.

Fort San Andres dates back to the 1770s when this country was under Spanish colonial rule. The fort was built when the wharf, at that time, was extended and was used to house protective services for the activities there.

Over the years, the building was modified and extended to suit different purposes. As it is today, the building looks almost the same as it did back in the mid-1800s.

The idea to restore it came along in 1995 when the Police Service Traffic Branch vacated the building.

"When I came to the museum, the idea to restore the Fort San Andres was already there and I just formulated the plans to help the project take off," Lewis said, adding that he is heartened by the growing all round acceptance of the need for restoration work to be carried out on some buildings."

For the first of the planned Municipal Museum, the Museum of the City of Pot of Spain which will be housed at the South Quay building, Lewis said that the most difficult part would be the assembly of the permanent exhibits. His plan is to have displays of various aspects of the city in its development, events and evolution from the 1700s to the 20^th century.

Lewis said that he has already held talks with officials of the Port of Spain City Corporation where there are valuable documents, artifacts and photographs.

He said the corporation has agreed to his efforts and is so far willing to hand over the items to the new museum.

Talks have also been held with officials of the San Fernando City Corporation where Lewis said his ideas were met with agreement as well.

That corporation is in the process of finding a building that would house the San Fernando Municipal Museum.

For the Lopinot Complex, Lewis said he has got the support of the Forestry Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources to maintain and further develop the museum there.

Lewis also disclosed plans to implement a system whereby community museums will benefit from collaboration with and assistance from what is to become the Museum Head Office.

The same will apply to the La Brea museum, a project that Lewis will be doing together with the Tourism and Industrial Development Company (Tidco).

In Tobago, Lewis said that the museum there is under the governance of the Tobago House of Assembly and he intends to hold further discussions with officials there with a view to stepping beyond the initial verbal agreement.

In another area of the National Museum, Lewis disclosed that he is making attempts to establish a collaborative and cooperative link with the Smithsonian Institute.

Any agreement that arises out of this will be reserved exclusively to assistance in dating items thought to be of historic value.

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