A number of the finest old Caymanian homes have disappeared over the past two decades, either to make way for modern development or because they have fallen into disrepair and are beyond saving. It is, therefore, particularly satisfying to see that some of these older houses are being carefully maintained by their owners. The National Trust for the Cayman Islands is very appreciative of the efforts made by these individuals and is taking the opportunity to highlight a few of them in this series of Information Sheets.

One of the most striking is to be found at Creek, on Cayman Brac. Built by Captain Spellman McLaughlin between 1926-30, it is presently lived in by his daughter, Mrs. Brunzil Rivers, and her family. Spellman McLaughlin arrived in Cayman Brac from East End with his family when he was only 16 years old. He grew up and married there and began building this house to his own design.

Situated on a slight rise on the landward side of Creek Road, this imposing house is unusual in that it has three gable ends. Each gable section is pitched individually, rising well clear of the roof of the verandah, which surrounds the house. This gives the impression that the house has two storeys, but, in fact, it has only one.

The house is constructed of timber imported from Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, USA. It had become the practice to import cut timber from overseas for house-building. The wood was of good quality and a house could be quickly constructed, especially if it followed one of the bungalow designs common at the time. Pre-cut lengths would be supplied, so that the house could be built without much further cutting. Spellman McLaughlin, however, did not want a standard house. The planks he used had to be cut to size on site. Although he had help with the construction, he oversaw every detail himself. This meant that the building work would have been interrupted whenever he went off to sea, which he had to do to earn his living.

Supported on full-section log posts sunk into the ground, the house is built largely of pine. Today, the wood is still in excellent condition, in spite of the exposure to sun, wind and salt. Mrs. Rivers says that should the wood be pierced for repairs or renovations, the wonderful smell of pine resin still remains. Very few nails (which would rust) were used in the construction - none at all in the verandah balustrade- which probably used wooden pegs to join the sections together. The roof was covered with cedar shingles, which remain today in good condition underneath the more durable zinc roofing.

The house has eight exterior rooms, built around a central dining room. Each of these rooms has windows and a door to the verandah, which means that the house is light and airy. Whenever there is a breeze, the house catches it - which must have been a real bonus in the days before any building had air-conditioning!

The rooms, which face northwest, and the central dining room, were designed to be the formal rooms and have elaborate ceilings. Diagonal wall paneling in the dining room makes that area distinctive, and the front sitting room, which is in the centre of the northern side, has a domed ceiling of beaded board.

The rooms on the south-eastern facade, which were likely to be the hottest, did not have ceilings so that the hot air could rise into the roof space, keeping the rooms as cool as possible. The kitchen is now on this side, but when the house was built it would have been in a separate building, to keep the heat of cooking away from the house and to restrict the danger of fire.

The house was completed in 1930, by which time the McLaughlins had a baby boy. Three more children were born in the house, including Mrs. Rivers - the youngest and their only daughter.

Over recent years, the Rivers family have lovingly restored and renovated the house and, in common with most old homes, it has more to tell than just the story of a building: for it was in this house, in the great hurricane of 1932, that 130 local people found shelter.

During that terrifying November day, all but nine of the houses on the Brac were destroyed or severely damaged. Many people were swept away with their homes. But this house stood firm against the force of the gale and the might of the sea. One survivor, Mrs. Phyllis Jackson, recalls: "We packed in to this house. I was in one room, the west room, that time the water was flooding in to the house. We were bailing it, you understand, trying to bail it out, it came up to knee deep in the apartment we was in, so ... a friend was along with me ... so I said to him, 'What a big cloud.' He said 'No, that's no cloud, that's a tear of sea.' (a tidal wave) ... and all I know was, when the door burst open and (the water) took everything to the back of the house, inside the house, you understand."

The house survived. Even the windows held fast. A boulder crashed through the front door, letting the water in as described, but amazingly, did no further damage. In the days that followed, the house became a centre for aid in the community. Food was scarce and emergency supplies such as cornmeal, flour and sugar, had to be shipped in from Jamaica. This had to be rationed and it was to this house that folk came for their share.

The Spellman McLaughlin home is an important part of Caymanian heritage. It is particularly fortunate that it has remained in the family of the builder. The Rivers family give unstintingly of their time to share their pleasure in their home with others. The Trust was delighted to show its appreciation when it presented Mrs. Rivers with its 1995 Award of Distinction for the Preservation of Historic Places.

Last Updated: 23 Nov 2011