Though no longer standing, the site where Fort Nassau once stood, about 60 miles north of New Amsterdam on the east bank of the Berbice River, is a national monument of Guyana. First built in 1627 by Abraham Van Pere, a Dutch merchant, Fort Nassau served as the seat of government in the area. In 1763, Governor Van Hoogenheim ordered his soldiers to destroy the structure during the slave revolt to prevent the revels from taking it. In 1999 Fort Kyk-over-al, a structure built on a small island at the juncture of the Mazaruni and Cuyuni rivers, was declared a national monument. Overwhelmingly considered the oldest Dutch Fort in Guyana, the structure was quite small and all that remains is a stone arch. Guyana's oldest non-military structure, Fort Zeelandia, was originally built of timber in 1744 on an island in the Essequibo River, but it has since been replaced by what has become known as the Brick Fort. This national monument originally served as a stronghold against rebellious natives and slaves and protected the interests and cargo of the Dutch West India Company.
Many of Guyana's national monuments are state buildings still functioning in 2010. Located on Fort Island is the Court of Policy, or Dutch Church, and Guyana's oldest non-military structure. The Court of Policy has served as a court, a store and a sales office, and as of 2010 church services are still being held there. The State House, an elegantly restored wooden building, serves as the official residence of Guyana's President. The Umana Yana national monument was constructed on the lawns of the former Mariners Club to host the first meeting of the Non-Aligned Nations in 1972. Kamana Court, formerly known as the Red House, was used as living quarters for a number of Colonial Secretaries and other officials. It held government offices from 1965 to the 1990s. The only church to be declared a national monument in Guyana is St. George's Cathedral, a Gothic cathedral built between 1886 and 1892.
Its eastern side is famed for its stained glass panels, rose window and detailed wrought-iron chancel screen.
Guyana's two stone structure national monuments are the Non-Aligned Monument and 1763 Monument. The Non-Aligned Monument commemorates the 1972 Conference of Foreign Ministers of Non-Aligned countries. Four busts honoring the Non-Aligned Movement's founders top quartz stone pillars. Four jasper rocks from the Orinduik waterfall and a pool with riverbed stones decorate the monument. The 1763 Monument commemorates the 1763 Berbice Slave Rebellion. The revolt's leader, Cuffy, is represented in a bronze likeness by sculptor Philip Moore. The statue tops a 15 foot concrete plinth.
