Cape Mount
A former district of Montserrado County, Grand Cape Mount County obtained its current status in 1924. Cape Mount is known as the earliest recorded landmark of the Liberian Coast. The highest natural landmark on the Liberian Coast is a promontory which rises 1068 feet above sea level, with its peak visible from the Ducor Place Hotel in Monrovia on a sunny day. At the foot of the mountain, on the other side from the Atlantic Ocean, is Lake Piso, the largest lake in the country that flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Lake Piso used to be the U.S. seaplane base during World War II.
Robertsport
Robertsport is a beach city located near the promontory along the shores of Lake
Piso. The city set among tropical green hills was founded April 17, 1855, by
President Roberts. The city was named after the President after he and seventeen
volunteers from Montserrado County sailed to Cape Mount on the Liberian
Schooner Lark. Now Robertsport is the county seat of government.
The area boasts views of breath-taking beauty due to the combination of the dense
green foliage of the promontory sloping downward to the Atlantic Ocean, rocky
intrusions to the west, Lake Piso to the east, and several small but picturesque
islands offshore.
Inhabitants
The area is inhabited by the Vais, along with the descendants of settlers who
arrived from North America, the Caribbean and the African Diaspora. The county
is also home to communities of such ethnic groups as Bassa, Gola, Fanti, Kru,
Mende, and others. The majority of the population is centered in the rural areas in
Garwula, Gola Koneh, Pokpa, Tewor and Tombe districts.
Cultural Heritage
The Tubman Center for African Culture in Robertsport housed the extensive
collection of artifacts and exhibits devoted to the history, customary laws,
folkways, and legends of the Vais, and the descendents of black Americans who
settled in the county since its founding, as well as other ethnic groups in Liberia.
The collection also featured specimens of Vai Writing and a phonetic chart of the
characters of the Vai language and script invented by Mr. Dwalu Bukele.
Unfortunately the Center was looted during the civil war. Currently efforts are
being made to rehabilitate the Center and restore some of the valuable items that
were stolen. A team of Liberian and American scholars is currently working to
prepare a desktop arrangement of the Vai language, with the hopes of creating a
computer keyboard for the language soon.
Center of Learning
For many years the county was a major educational center of Liberia. A great
number of students came to Grand Cape Mount from various parts of Liberia and
Sierra Leone to attend The House of Bethany for girls and Saint Johns for boys of
the Episcopal High School in Robertsport, known for providing quality education,
or Saint Timothy's Hospital, a prestigious medical center of the area. The
Robertsport High School is also among the finest high schools in the area, as well
as preparatory schools at Bendu and Baloma, in the interior of the county.
Cape Mountainians in the United States
Recently the National Association of Cape Mountainians in the Americas, a U.S.
organization the members of which are the representatives from Robertsport and
reputable citizens from Grand Cape Mount, has contributed to the reconstruction of
Grand Cape Mount. Many members of this organization have expressed their
desire to return home to facilitate the reconstruction and development of the county
and Liberia.
Potential for Tourism and Investment
Today more and more Liberian and foreign travelers venture to the picturesque
banks of Lake Piso and the pristine beaches of Robersport in search of good
surfing opportunities. In addition, the deposits of iron discovered at the Bea
Mountain, as well as gold mining activities in the interior of the county instill hope
for further investment and development of the area.
Grand Cape Mount County shows signs of recovering from the scars left by the
civil war and years of conflicts. The Department of Public Works and the
Engineering Battalion of the United Nations Mission in Liberia have initiated the
reconstruction of the Medina-Robersport Road. The country leaders in partnership
with the government are working for the rehabilitation and development of Grand
Cape Mount County and the Liberian State.