Hope Town: Reality of a Dream

By Richard L.Seaberg

In his book Hope Town: Reality of a Dream Richard L. Seaberg explores through a fictitious story, historical facts and his own ink drawings the
architectural development of a special place called Hope Town in the
Bahamas.

In Part 1 of the book Sarah and The Goat, the reader is brought back to the late 1700s when the Islands of the Bahamas were first settled by Loyalists and relives a way of life that may even be similar to our present day.

In Part 2 of the book, Older Houses of Hope Town, the dreams of building a new life are connected with the building of houses that created a community appropriately named Hope Town.

The Reality of a Dream has been realized by many in search of a new life in Hope Town from the time it was originally settled until the present.

"The tropical setting of swaying palm trees and inspiring blue green waters is like
living on the untouched edge of the world."

Richard L. Seaberg

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 9, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477287415

Richard L.Seaberg

Richard L. Seaberg is originally from Massachusetts where he established his architectural practice in 1970. His education at Rhode Island School of Design, along with his natural artistic talents and experience, have led him to design homes for clients in New England, Colorado, Florida, the Carolinas and the Caribbean. His lure to the Island life has taken him back to Hope Town many times through the years. Richard resides in Florida just across the ocean from his “Paradise”.

Book preview

© 2012 by Richard L. Seaberg

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/29/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4772-8740-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-8742-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-8741-5 (eb)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012920823

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Prologue Hope Town: A Paradise

Author’s Dream

Part 1 Sarah And The Goat: A Fictitious Tale

Chapter 1 Lighten the Load

Chapter 2 The Storm

Chapter 3 Instinct and a Dream

Chapter 4 The Arrival

Chapter 5 Sailing the Ocean Blue

Chapter 6 Shanghaied

Chapter 7 A New Life

Chapter 8 A Time to Heal

Chapter 9 Sarah’s House

Chapter 10 Freedom

Chapter 11 The Reunion

Chapter 12 The Last Straw

Chapter 13 Return to Paradise!

Interlude Transition of Thoughts

Part 2 Older Houses of Hope Town: Drawings and History

Older Houses of Hope Town: Listing of Houses

Epilogue

About the Author

I dedicate this book to my daughter, Brianna,

as it is her very being that has given me the inspiration,

as I envision in her future all her

Dreams becoming Reality.

Acknowledgments

A heartfelt thank you to my special friends, Jay and Stephanie Rhodes, for introducing me to Hope Town, thus inspiring me to embark on a new dream.

Thanks also to everyone in Hope Town that contributed to the historical background of the book, especially to Paul and Sharyn (Russell) Thompson for their kind and generous support in relaying historical information.

To all my friends who live in Hope Town and on Elbow Cay:

A special thank you for your support in my writing this book and for all the years of happiness that you have given me and my family on our visits to your island. It is your warmth and hospitality that make Hope Town a special place.

Suggested Reading

Abaco:The History of An Out Island & It’s Cays by Steve Dodge

The Fledging by Chester Thompson

Below Another Sky by Dave Gale

A Guide and History of Hope Town by Barbara & Vernon

Malone and Marjorie & Steve Dodge

Inspirations

Wind from the Carolinas by Robert Wilder

Don’t Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

2_Palm%20Trees.jpg

Prologue

Hope Town: A Paradise

There is a special place close to my heart just east of my home in Florida. The place is called Hope Town. It is on the island of Elbow Cay, which is located in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas. Hope Town, originally called Great Harbour, was settled in 1785 by Loyalists who fled the newly formed colonies in the United States.

The original settlers were seafarers, builders, farmers, and plantation owners that wished to be free to continue their lives without persecution and encumbrances from a new government. These original adventurers were to remain loyal to England, and as they mixed with other cultures in the islands, they all became part of a new beginning that would develop into communities inhabited by beautiful, warm, and hospitable people.

There are many reasons why Hope Town is special to me: the beautiful sunsets over the lighthouse, the sparkling blue-green waters and white, sandy beaches, the warmth and friendliness of the inhabitants, and the artistic inspiration and freedom of individual expression. It is truly a paradise, not just for me, but for the many people who have visited and certainly for those who live there!

During the past twenty-seven years, I have always looked forward to returning to Hope Town to visit with my friends. To all that I know on Elbow Cay, I wish to express my sincerest and warmest thanks for allowing me to be a part of your island life. It is always the people and the relationships that make a particular place special enough to call paradise and, for me, my natural home on earth.

I remember arriving by Albury’s Ferry into Hope Town Harbour in 1999 after the island had taken a direct hit from Hurricane Floyd. As an artist, I said to myself that this cannot be the same place I once called paradise. With most of the vegetation gone, the town that was once a collage of old Cape Cod-style houses and beautiful swaying palm trees had been turned into a sea of houses and utility poles that was not at all inspiring. However, once ashore, it was the quick hello from all my Hope Town friends that quickly changed my perspective. It was always, and still is, the people that make this town such a special place. It sometimes takes Mother Nature to make us realize what life is about: friends, health, and happiness!

It was back in 1985 when my special friends, Jay and Stephanie Rhodes, first introduced me to the Abacos and Hope Town. We sailed many idyllic, clear days on their boat, Toucan, across the blue-green waters of the Sea of Abaco. I especially remember one particular day sailing south from Hope Town toward Little Harbour. As we sailed past White Sound, Jay pointed out a house high on a bluff to the east. He said that it was once the house of the singer Burl Ives.

I thought some years later that Burl Ives and I may have had a lot in common, especially our love of the island life. Like myself, he most likely visited Hope Town with the same feeling I have of being free and at peace with the world and himself.

The old house was yellow and seemed taller than it was wide as it stood out against a darkening east sky. I remember clearly thinking that this would be a spectacular place for me to design a house for myself; however, more likely for a future client. It had a view that was dramatic as it took in the full spectrum of Lubbers Quarters to the southwest and Marsh Harbour off in the distance. To the south, it overlooked a picturesque beach with palm trees that was perfectly named Tahiti Beach.

In present years, I bring my Island Marine rental boat to a stop in front of that old property on the bluff. Now, instead of the tall, yellow house that was torn down years ago, there stands a new house; a house that I designed!

On that day back in 1985, I was the true dreamer that every architect should be. Then, through all the years of visiting Hope Town with my dream to design a special house on a very special property still in my thoughts, twenty-four years later my dream came true!

At some points in our life, fiction and real life come together. Our dreams of our future, the fictional part of our thoughts, will cross paths with real life and create the reality in which we live. It can happen at any time in life and should be acknowledged and pursued.

A dreamer knows when to establish his or her dreams. It may be a dream of starting your own business, or