New Plymouth celebrated its bicentennial in 1984 by establishing a memorial that honors American Loyalists and also some of their notable descendants, including Albert Lowe, a pioneer boat-builder and historian.
Across from New Plymouth Inn on Parliament Street, the Memorial Sculpture Garden honors residents of the Abacos, both living and dead. What blooms at this garden are busts of island notables on stone pedestals. Read about some of the American Loyalists who came to The Bahamas from New England and the Carolinas. Statues are also dedicated to their descendants and to those people who were enslaved in these islands. You can see everyone from Albert Lowe -- whose forebears were among New Plymouth's original European-American settlers -- to African-Bahamian Jeanne I. Thompson, the second woman to practice law in The Bahamas. This garden is laid out in the pattern of the Union Jack flag.
There isn't much shopping here, but consider a visit to the Ocean Blue Gallery, adjoining the Plymouth Rock Café on Parliament Street (tel. 242/365-4234). This two-room outlet has one of the best collections of local artwork in the Abacos, including some original sculptures and paintings.
