MARSHALL ISLANDS An outstanding example of Micronesian plantation architecture

Decay caused by the tropical environment and the ravages of World War II have seen to it that wooden structures dat-ing to the beginning of the twentieth century have become rare in Micronesia. The Joachim de Brum House on Likiep Atoll is the major property of its kind surviving in the Eastern Micronesia. This paper discusses the significance of the house, its contents and its associated structures against the background of its owner, Joachim de Brum. From the point of view of historic preservation throughout Micronesia, it is regrettable that so little historic property from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries remains. Several factors have combined to cause this: great damage occurred from military operations during the Pacific War, extreme weather con-ditions, eg. tropical cyclones, have devastated some islands, and environmental decay is a continuous process (Look & Spennemann 1993a; 1994, Spennemann & Look 1994). De-velopment and human neglect, derived from changing demands on housing and settlement location (urbanization), are also taking a heavy toll. Tangible and intangible cultural property will decay and disappear wherever it is not con-sidered to have current value because processes for its preservation will not be managed effec-tively in times when preservation funds are limited. As a result, examples of European plantation architecture are have become rare in Micronesia. The purpose of this paper is to describe an outstanding example of such architecture, the Joachim De Brum House on Likiep Atoll, Mar-shall Islands, and to discuss its significance for Micronesian heritage and architecture