On an old plot in Pembroke now strewn with detritus and all but forgotten, a building may soon rise and music might again be heard.

Major Barrett Dill, of Operation Treble Clef — as the initiative to restore the property is called — said the site was owned by North Village Band but was abandoned decades ago as the structure began to deteriorate.

The project has already removed “brush, trash, discarded vehicles and other paraphernalia that had accumulated over the decades,” the committee behind the Operation Treble Clef said.

Desmond Trott and his team from Affordable Maintenance have begun to clear the land.

A band hall is envisioned on the property on Band Room Lane.

In addition to Major Dill, Kevin Grant, Willie Ferguson, Shervin Hendrickson and Darlin Young are involved in Operation Treble Clef.

The North Village Band was formed by members of the Grand Order of Oddfellows Alexandrina Lodge on June 29, 1863.

The group, originally called the Alexandrina Band, escorted lodge members to church during anniversaries and funeral processions and performed at events throughout the island. It became the North Village Band in 1949.

The band rehearsed in St Monica’s Mission Hall for many years after leaving the premises on Band Room Lane, but the group has been dormant since the pandemic.

A fund has been established to raise money for the project now under way. Operation Treble Clef welcomes help from all community partners. No date has been set for completion.

Contact Major Dill at 505-4691 or dillbar@gmail.com for more information.