Public encouraged to help repaint HM Prison Museum on Sunday
During an interview with JTV Channel 55 on Monday, March 16, 2026, Junior Minister for Financial Services, Trade, and Economic Development, Hon Lorna G. Smith, OBE (AL), stated, “It’s a great, historic significance for many years; it was the prison. It's now the old prison, but it's a very popular museum that's visited by residents and visitors alike.”
Community program
The Roots to Resilience: Together We Thrive initiative, now in its second year, is a multi-faceted community programme in the Virgin Islands launched by Honourable Smith. The programme aims to foster vibrant, healthy, and united communities across the territory by improving public spaces and boosting community pride.
Facelift of the old prison
The project to enhance the old prison in Road Town will take place on Sunday, March 22, 2026. The minister indicated that volunteers from Virgin Voyages have agreed to assist with painting the old prison.
“We're very pleased that we are having assistance from Virgin Voyages, volunteers, they are going to be supporting us. This is the 2nd time they've supported it. They did support us when we were at East End, and now they're going to support us in town. We're expecting at least 20 persons, and we are very, very pleased that they are doing so,” said Hon Smith.
Encourage locals to participate
However, Hon Smith emphasised that this project belongs to the people of the Virgin Islands, and they should take ownership by participating. “This is our project. This is not a project for visitors. Although we appreciate the support that we are getting.”
She further encouraged members of the Road Town community to come out between 8:00 AM and midday to help with the painting. “We are calling on persons in the community. Persons who are from community organisations, schools, I am certainly calling on my colleagues in the rotary clubs to come out and support us, and just wield a paint brush.”
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16 Responses to “Public encouraged to help repaint HM Prison Museum on Sunday”
1. High schoolers who want community service hours
2. The prisoners are HMS Prison
Following the hurricane damage and loss of artifacts at the Old Government House Museum, I was asked by a person responsible for the philatelic collection, if I could help by contributing items from my own collection.
I willingly responded by offering to donate all the items from my collection. This included the original art work relating to three series of postage stamps that I designed for the territory in the early 1980's. Additionally, I offered the detailed plans I had made of the island's plantation sites, together with hundreds of photographs of historical sites and structures. I also responded positively to a request for copies of my book "Virgin Island Sketches" for the museum's gift shop.
From the entire list, a representative of the Museum's Board of Management responded to say the Board would accept just two first day covers "providing I did not make a fan fare about it"!
Given that Governor Pruce is the Chairman of the Museum's Board of Management, I asked him to investigate why his board members (one of whom incidentally, is my ex-wife Ermin Penn) appear to have no interest in 95% of the rare items I was willing to freely donate.
I still await the Board of Management’s final decision.