Sandra Phillip-Hodge drew on her experience as a former assistant curator at the Virgin Islands Folk Museum in Road Town to illustrate what she sees as a prevailing lack of local appreciation for historic buildings, ruins and artefacts. Photo: Facebook

Independent at-large candidate Sandra Phillip-Hodge is urging Virgin Islanders to embrace a “revolution” in attitudes toward historical preservation, warning that irreplaceable heritage sites are being lost to short-sighted development. Photo: Internet Source (Fort Brut)

Speaking on her Facebook platform ahead of the 2027 general elections, Phillip-Hodge said that if elected to the House of Assembly, she will make boosting historical knowledge and protecting patrimony a top priority.

Folk museum experience shapes preservation stance

Phillip-Hodge drew on her experience as a former assistant curator at the Virgin Islands Folk Museum in Road Town to illustrate what she sees as a prevailing lack of local appreciation for historic buildings, ruins and artefacts.

“It takes a special kind of person to appreciate the past for what it means to us, for what has been handed down to us,” she said. “But I believe there will be more special people if they were properly educated about it.”

She argued that many residents view old structures and sites as obstacles to “new things,” leading to the demolition of heritage assets in favour of what she described as “some old stupidness to replace the irreplaceable". 

Education, identity & tourism

Phillip-Hodge framed historical preservation as central to national identity, youth education and sustainable tourism development.

“Everything that is created by the human being, everything that is made by the hands of man, it is something to show that he has patterned himself,” she said. “He didn’t just pass through the earth here like a puff of wind, come and gone, and left nothing behind.”

She stressed that preserved heritage sites give tourists meaningful experiences while allowing young Virgin Islanders to connect with their ancestry.

“As a tourist destination, we need to have things that tourists could be interested in and learn something from,” she said. “We need to have something that could reflect on our identity as a people.”

Pledge to prioritise heritage in HoA

Phillip-Hodge, who declared as an independent at-large candidate in August 2026, said historical preservation would be a priority regardless of which side of the House she sits on.

“If I am elected as a representative in the House of Assembly, whether I am on the government side or opposition side, I will make it my priority to boost the history and historical preservation knowledge for the youth growing up,” she said.

She called for systematic efforts to teach residents and inform visitors about the territory’s legacy as “a unique place in the Caribbean,” and for stronger protection of old ruins that are currently “not properly recognised, not properly preserved, [and] not protected.”

‘It is not just about making the fast buck’

Phillip-Hodge tied heritage conservation to the broader concept of sustainable development, arguing that patrimony and identity must not be sacrificed for quick profits.

“Sustainable development includes protecting your patrimony, protecting the legacy, your heritage; all of that counts,” she said. “It is not just about making the fast buck.”

She concluded by expressing hope that her message would spark a shift in public attitudes even if she is not elected.

“I hope whether or not I do get in there, I hope that there will be a revolution in the attitude of the people towards historical preservation,” she said.

Phillip-Hodge is among several new candidates who have entered the race for the 2027 general elections.