Fahie Hill Mural

In 2001 a local artist, Reuben Vanterpool, decided to turn a retaining wall in his Fahie Hill community into a gallery of its history; he sketched a series of scenes on the wall and, with the help of other artists, painted them in vivid colors. The result was the Fahie Hill Mural, an excellent depiction of life on Tortola after Emancipation but before widespread development.

Panels show how islanders raised and gathered their food: they depict young men fishing, older men watering cattle, and the whole family working together to terrace land for crops. One panel illustrates women baking bread in traditional Dutch brick ovens.

Other panels show the schoolhouse where children once studied, a sugar factory at harvest time, and men working at the nearby rum distillery. The mural also shows how islanders had fun: One panel depicts a fungi band at work, and another shows traditional dancing.

The mural is located along the Ridge Road between Great Mountain Road and Johnson’s Ghut Road.