The 300 Monument is back

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It’s been a hard five years. In 2017, back-to-back hurricanes damaged the Methuselah 300 Monument in St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We had planned to restore it after island contractors were done with the big job of rebuilding the hurricane-ravaged islands.

Then, in 2020, COVID-19 struck, locking everyone in place. Again, we shelved renovation plans.

When we built the marble 300 Monument in 2015 to immortalize donors who gave $25,000 to fund Methuselah Foundation efforts, we thought it would last forever. Hurricanes Irma and Maria – two category 5 storms that hit St. Thomas within days of each other in September 2017 – showed us how wrong we could be.

But now, the monument with a beautiful view of Long Bay in St. Thomas is back.

Beginning in December 2021, contractors replaced marble panels, rebuilt steps, terraced the area and planted new native vegetation. The renovation work was completed in February 2022.

Once again, the 300 Monument offers a spot to spend a moment, enjoy the view and reflect on what has been accomplished since the Foundation was incorporated in 2001.

Since we started, the world has changed how it thinks about longevity science and the promise of living longer, healthier lives. What was once thought to be the arena of science fiction has become very much mainstream science.

People now dream of living longer. Researchers are achieving significant breakthroughs every day. And, what many thought impossible is now within reach.

We’re proud that Methuselah Foundation has been at the center of this change. But this work was only possible thanks to the generosity of donors like the Methuselah 300, people who pledged and donated at least $25,000 to our work. Their names are immortalized in the 300 Monument.

The idea for this group came from the 300 Spartans who held the pass at Thermopylae in 480 BC against an invading Persian army. They became a symbol around which Greece rallied to fend off the Persians. 

Like those Spartans, the Methuselah 300 are the bold few committed to extending healthy life. They enable progress on four fronts:

  • Venture investments, with 100% of returns reinvested into the mission of making 90 the new 50 by 2030.

  • Prizes to encourage scientific competition to advance the mission of longevity.

  • Fiscal sponsorship of high-return projects whose aim is to create an environment supportive of longevity.

  • Underwriting for scientific research and coordination projects.

We are committed to continuing these efforts. If you’d like to help us achieve our mission, donate.