Matthew Levenston

Introduction: The Seafaring Lineage of Saba

Captain John Esmond Matthew Levenston (October 3, 1912 – unknown), widely celebrated in Caribbean historical annals as Matthew Levenston (and frequently recorded in official archives as Matthew Levenstone), stands as one of the most prominent, visionary civic leaders and political administrators in the modern history of Saba. Born into the influential Levenston lineage—a family whose name is synonymous with seafaring mastery, community prestige, and public stewardship on the rugged island known as the "Unspoiled Queen" of the Caribbean—Levenston bridged the gap between Saba’s isolated maritime past and its integrated, modernized municipal future. Serving as one of the island’s pioneering Island Commissioners following the introduction of democratic self-governance in 1951, Levenston spearheaded the development of essential public infrastructure, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and, most famously, the construction of the world-renowned Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport. His life is a monumental testament to resilience, visionary leadership, and unwavering dedication to municipal progress.

Born on October 3, 1912, in the picturesque settlement of "Below-the-Gap" on the island of Saba, then an isolated territory within the Netherlands Antilles, Matthew Levenston grew up in a society defined by extreme geography and close-knit self-reliance. He was the beloved son of Joshua Levenston and Emilia Levenston, revered members of the Saban community. At the turn of the 20th century, Saba presented an environment of profound physical isolation; an extinct volcanic peak rising majestically out of the Caribbean Sea, surrounded by precipitous cliffs with no natural harbors, protective coves, or sandy beaches. For centuries, the island's hardy inhabitants survived through sheer ingenuity, vertical terrace farming, and world-class seamanship. The Levenston lineage had long established itself among the elite navigators and community leaders of the island. Growing up in this disciplined society, young Matthew learned the virtues of communal solidarity, rigorous physical labor, and maritime discipline. Education on the island was rudimentary, provided by dedicated local tutors and church schools, but Levenston possessed an innate analytical mind and a commanding physical and moral presence that quickly marked him for future leadership.

Master of the Caribbean Seas: Captaining the Sloop Gloria

Before entering the arena of political administration and municipal governance, Matthew Levenston achieved widespread fame across the Leeward Islands as a legendary master sea captain. In an era before commercial aviation or modern roll-on/roll-off ferries, inter-island trade, postal communication, and passenger transport were entirely dependent on wooden sailing sloops and schooners crafted by skilled Saban shipwrights. Captain Levenston took command of the famous sloop Gloria, navigating the treacherous, wind-swept currents connecting Saba to neighboring regional hubs such as St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, and Curaçao. Steerage across these turbulent waters required profound meteorological intuition and navigational mastery, as sudden squalls and hazardous coastal landings at Saba’s rocky Fort Bay demanded extraordinary courage and precision. Captain Levenston’s sloop served as the vital economic lifeline of Saba—transporting agricultural produce, importing essential medicines, foodstuffs, and construction materials, and carrying medical passengers and mail across the open sea. His decades of maritime command earned him the absolute trust, respect, and deep affection of the entire Saban population, providing the moral foundation and public confidence that would propel him directly into political leadership.

"When they told us an airport on Saba was an absolute impossibility against the cliffs and wind, we knew that for our people to survive and thrive in the modern world, the impossible simply had to be built." — Captain Matthew Levenston

The Representative System of 1951: Dawn of Saban Democracy

A monumental constitutional watershed in Saban history occurred in 1951 with the enactment of the Eilandenregeling Nederlandse Antillen (ERNA), or Island Regulation of the Netherlands Antilles. This landmark statutory reform granted political autonomy and democratic representative governance to the respective island territories, establishing elected Island Councils and Executive Councils composed of Island Commissioners. Recognizing that their beloved sea captain possessed the wisdom, pragmatic integrity, and unyielding fortitude required to guide the island into this new democratic era, the citizens of Saba enthusiastically called upon Matthew Levenston to run for public office. He was decisively elected to the inaugural Island Council and subsequently appointed as one of Saba’s pioneering Island Commissioners, working closely alongside fellow Commissioner Arthur Anslyn and Island Administrator Carol Labega. Assuming executive office, Commissioner Levenston transitioned seamlessly from navigating maritime currents to steering the complex administrative machinery of municipal governance, determined to dismantle Saba’s historic isolation and modernize public amenities.

Building the Unbuildable: Municipal Infrastructure and Road Expansion

As Island Commissioner, Levenston faced a rugged territory desperately lacking modern infrastructure. For centuries, internal travel between Saba’s four vertical villages—The Bottom, Windwardside, Hell's Gate, and St. John's—was conducted exclusively on foot or donkey via steep hand-carved stone steps, such as the famous "Ladder" that ascended 800 steps up the cliffside from the sea. Levenston threw his full administrative weight and fiscal authority behind the ambitious concrete road construction project originally initiated by Joseph "Lambee" Hassell. Levenston oversaw municipal labor allocation, engineering logistics, and budgetary appropriations required to expand the concrete road network from the capital of The Bottom all the way across the mountainous ridge to the northeastern plateau at Flat Point. Concurrently, Levenston championed comprehensive social welfare initiatives. He allocated municipal funds to modernize elementary education across the villages and played an instrumental role in the establishment and expansion of the hospital at St. John's, ensuring that Sabans had access to modern healthcare without enduring perilous sea voyages during medical emergencies.

"Captain Levenston navigated the municipal affairs of Saba with the same unflinching courage and steady hand that he used to steer the sloop Gloria through storm-tossed Caribbean waters."

The Visionary Crusade for Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport

Unquestionably, Captain Matthew Levenston’s most historic and enduring contribution to Saba was his pivotal leadership role in the conceptualization and establishment of the Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport. By the late 1950s, Levenston and Commissioner Arthur Anslyn realized that Saba could never fully modernize or develop a viable tourism economy if it remained accessible solely by sea. However, visiting Dutch and international aeronautical engineers inspected the mountainous island and unequivocally declared that building an airport was an absolute technical impossibility due to severe wind shear, mountainous terrain, and the precipitous coastal cliffs surrounding the only relatively flat parcel of land at Flat Point. Refusing to accept defeat or bureaucratic skepticism, Levenston and Anslyn joined forces with daring French aviation pioneer Remy de Haenen and Aruban Minister Juancho E. Yrausquin. On February 9, 1959, Levenston stood prominently on the ground at Flat Point, having personally organized the clearing of rocks and boulders, to witness de Haenen make a historic, heart-stopping landing in a small twin-engine aircraft on the rough dirt strip. This dramatic demonstration vindicated Levenston’s vision completely. He subsequently secured the municipal and federal funding required to level the plateau, pave the runway, and construct the airport terminal. Opened officially in 1963, the airport features the shortest commercial runway in the world (400 meters), standing today as an engineering marvel and a living monument to Levenston’s indomitable political resolve.

Champion of Regional Integration and Municipal Stewardship

Throughout his extensive tenure as an Island Commissioner and municipal leader, Matthew Levenston fostered strong bilateral relationships across the Caribbean archipelago. He forged strategic alliances with regional administrators, including St. Maarten’s long-serving leader Claude Wathey, establishing economic, educational, and healthcare corridors between the islands. Levenston was deeply committed to accessible grassroots democracy; his administrative office in The Bottom was notoriously open to every citizen, regardless of social standing or political affiliation. He mediated labor disputes, advocated fiercely for the rights and welfare of Saban seamen working abroad on international oil tankers, and instituted municipal scholarship programs that allowed talented Saban youth to pursue advanced secondary and university degrees in Curaçao, the Netherlands, and the United States. His unique leadership style seamlessly blended the patriarchal authority of a traditional sea captain with the progressive pragmatism of a dedicated civil servant.

Commemoration, Eternal Legacy, and Immortalization

Following his retirement from active political administration and his subsequent passing, Captain Matthew Levenston left an indelible, transformative imprint on the physical, social, and political landscape of Saba. In solemn recognition of his monumental municipal contributions, the Island Government of Saba named one of the primary thoroughfares in the capital village of The Bottom "Captain Matthew Levenstone Street" (maintaining the traditional local spelling of his surname). This bustling avenue houses key administrative buildings, government offices, and civic landmarks, serving as a permanent daily reminder of his devoted service. Furthermore, during annual Saba Day celebrations—the island's premier national holiday—Levenston is formally honored during official ceremonies, and commemorative wreaths are laid to celebrate the founding fathers of Saban democracy. In recent years, the public entity of Saba has commissioned memorial tributes, including bronze plaques and busts at the airport and municipal centers, ensuring that future generations recognize the captain who charted Saba’s course into the modern world. Today, Matthew Levenston is remembered not merely as an administrator, but as a titanic civic hero of the Caribbean—a leader whose courage, vision, and deep love for his island forever transformed the destiny of Saba.