A Bena landmark was demolished last Thursday, making way for a museum designed to preserve Guinea heritage for generations to come. The building that was torn down was known to many in the area as the old Studebaker dealership.

Elliott Hogge, chair of the Guinea Heritage Association, said the building had become unsightly to the community and was basically beyond repair.

The vision for a museum is not a new one, according to Hogge. When the property was donated to the Guinea Heritage Association in the late 1990s, the membership of the association started with the idea of constructing a museum on the property.

"We did a lot of studies on it," Hogge said. "We even had a plan drawn up back in the ’90s."

Current plans are for an indoor/outdoor museum. The outdoor space will include a covered area large enough to house a 35-foot typical Guinea workboat. "We wanted something in there so people could see what oyster tongs are," Hogge said.

The...