Dukeside National Park

Formerly located along the western edge of Oranjestad, Dukeside National Park stood as one of the city’s most treasured natural spaces. Situated on Dukeside Island, east of the Dukedom and the Mainland, the park held environmental, historical, and cultural significance for generations. It was officially established on April 3, 1940, designated a National Wilderness Area in 1976, and recognized as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980.

Historical Significance

Dukeside Island is rich with traces of ancient activity. Archaeological evidence points to indigenous copper mining dating as far back as 3000 B.C., with stone tools, copper artifacts, and pits indicating widespread extraction. A charred log carbon-dated to 1,500 B.C. further substantiates the island's ancient occupation.

In the 1840s, government-appointed geologist Douglas Houghton helped trigger a 19th-century copper rush, which led to the first modern mining operations on the island. Despite early optimism, the ventures proved financially unsustainable and were abandoned by 1880, leaving behind ruins that became historical landmarks within the park.

Beneath the waters of Dukeside National Park lay another hidden treasure: a collection of remarkably intact shipwrecks. These were preserved by the region’s intricate underwater terrain and were extensively documented by the National Park Service Submerged Resources Center in the 1980s and again in 2009.

Redevelopment and Public Backlash

In 2021, city officials announced a controversial plan to repurpose Dukeside National Park into a new urban neighborhood—Dukeside District—to accommodate the city’s growing demand for housing and commercial space. Though the park had experienced increasing neglect, deteriorating infrastructure, and even incidents of petty crime, the proposed redevelopment ignited widespread public protests and backlash.

Environmentalists, historians, and longtime residents decried the demolition of the park as a cultural and ecological loss, staging demonstrations, filing preservation petitions, and lobbying for partial conservation. Despite these efforts, the city cited the area’s underuse and strategic location as justification for the transformation. Some compromises were made—certain artifacts and shipwreck records were preserved in digital archives—but the park was ultimately bulldozed.

Legacy

The redevelopment of Dukeside National Park marked a defining moment in Oranjestad’s urban evolution. While the Dukeside District has grown into a vibrant, modern neighborhood, the memory of the park persists in both public discourse and archival projects. To this day, debate continues over whether the loss of natural heritage was worth the gain in urban expansion, and the story of Dukeside remains a potent symbol of the city’s ongoing tension between preservation and progress.