 Minard
Estate in Brown’s Town St. Ann served as a vacation
home for the Stiebel family.
He
built a lavish home at Minard, which became the family’s
favourite vacation getaway. In 1881 he commissioned the services
of contractor Charles P. Lazarus to build the magnificent
Devon House Mansion. The house boasted a library, gaming room,
ballroom, sitting rooms, a sewing room, dining rooom, and
bedrooms. The kitchen (now occupied by the Brick Oven) was
located towards the back away from the House. In addition
to investing in property in Jamaica, Stiebel was a philanthropist,
assisting the poor and disadvantaged, as well as exhibiting
continuous interest in the socio-economic state of the country.
Several civic authorities and local groups invited Stiebel
to sit on their Boards including the Jamaica Permanent Benefit
Society, the Jamaica Co-operative Fruit Insurance Company,
the Board of Education and the Kingston and St. Andrew Union
Poorhouse. Stiebel’s most noted civic duty came when
he was named a Justice of the Peace (JP) and later Custos
of St. Andrew. It was during his tenure as Custos that the
Great Exhibition of 1891 was staged in Kingston. The Exhibition,
which sought to introduce tourism to the island, required
extensive financing which the government was unable to undertake.
Stiebel was among a small group of entrepreneurs who loaned
the Government funds to stage the exhibition. In recognition
of his services in the interest of the island, Her Majesty
the Queen bestowed on Stiebel the honour of Companion of the
Most Distinguished Order (C.M.G.). |
