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Emilio Wilson: the watchman who saved a Cul de Sac estate

A profile of Emilio Wilson (1911–2002), who rose from watchman to owner of the Industry and Golden Rock estate in Dutch Cul de Sac and refused to develop it, leaving today's Emilio Wilson Estate heritage site.

By SXM Daily ·

Emilio Wilson owned the Industry and Golden Rock estate in Dutch Cul de Sac and chose not to develop it. Because he kept the land and its ruins intact, the property survives today as the Emilio Wilson Estate, a heritage site on the Dutch side.

Cul de Sac valley surrounded by hills, Sint Maarten, 1964 (illustrative)

Illustrative: Cul de Sac, Sint Maarten, in 1964. Photo: Boy Lawson / Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Early life

Emilio Johan Wilson was born on 28 August 1911 in Santo Domingo to a mother from St. Maarten. He went to school in Little Bay and at the Oranje School, according to the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) and a joint tribute by five heritage foundations published by Pearl FM.

From watchman to owner

In 1929 Wilson was hired as the watchman of the Industry and Golden Rock estate, then owned by the van Romondt-Rodenhuis family. On 10 August 1954, a quarter of a century later, he bought the estate himself.

Keeping the land as it was

As owner, Wilson kept the estate undeveloped and left its old ruins standing. When Hurricane Luis left people without homes, he allowed a tent village for the victims on his land, DCNA and the heritage foundations recall.

The estate today

According to The Daily Herald, the estate covers about 90 hectares, running from the Cul de Sac road to the top of Sentry Hill, and 9 hectares are leased to the Emilio Wilson Estate Historical and Cultural Park Foundation. In 2012, DCNA reported a government commitment to buy 36.8 hectares. Ownership and land arrangements around the estate have changed over the years, so the current position may differ.

Legacy

Emilio Wilson died in 2002. The valley land and ruins he chose not to develop remain a visible link to Sint Maarten's past, and the estate still carries his name.

Sources

  • https://dcnanature.org/who-was-emilio-wilson/
  • https://pearlfmradio.sx/2008/08/28/emilio-wilson-remembered-august-28th-1911-july-5th-2002/
  • https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/emilio-wilson-estate-trustees-welcome-govt-s-intention-to-preserve-heritage-site
  • https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Collectie_Nationaal_Museum_van_Wereldculturen_TM-20030100_Gezicht_op_de_plaats_Cul_de_Sac,omgeven_door_heuvellandschap_Sint_Maarten_Boy_Lawson(Fotograaf).jpg

Source: https://dcnanature.org/who-was-emilio-wilson/

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