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Moonhole

Port Elizabeth, Italy

Moonhole

Moonhole is a private community on the island of Bequia (Bek-way) in the Grenadines. Its name is derived from a massive arch formed in volcanic substrate, through which the setting moon is sometimes visible. Founded by Thomas and Gladys Johnston in the 1960s, Moonhole is now a private nature preserv

e. The Johnstons retired from an advertising business in New York in the late 1960s, and founded the Moonhole community on the narrow western tip of the island. They began building a house beneath the arch with the aid of local masons from the nearby village of Paget Farm. Using whalebones, native hardwoods, and objects recovered from the sea, they built large open rooms with sea views. Without wells or electricity, they collected rainwater from the roofs and stored it in cisterns for bathing and washing. The master bath had a large tree that grew up through a large hole in the roof. Large windows facing the prevailing trade winds had plexiglass panes that could be lowered into place. The bedrooms surrounded a central dining room, veranda and large bar made from a humpback whale's jaw bone. In the early years there was no road to Moonhole, and people from Paget Farm walked there daily to...

Listen to the audio guide for Moonhole Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off

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