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Falmouth
For
the architecture or heritage buff, the coastal
town of Falmouth in Trelawny
is a virtual goldmine. In the late 1700s, when
sugar was ‘King’ and the profits
from the sweet gold made the fortunes of men,
families and nations, Falmouth was an elegant
centre of commerce. Today, the bustling, tight-knit
town is but a shadow of its former self with
hues of its past opulence and majesty.
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Hotels in Falmouth
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A
sugar boom in Trelawny
led directly to the creation of Falmouth.
It began during the mid-1700s, after a peace
treaty between the British colonists and
the Maroons, the independent guerrilla rebels
of the hills, allowed sugar estates to be
run without the threat of invasion. |
The high sucrose content of the land, naturally
irrigated by the many springs flowing from the
nearby Cockpit Country, lured more and more
planters to the area, and by 1773, when Trelawny
was made its own parish, there were over eighty
sugar plantations in operation.
Falmouth,
named for the birthplace of the then governor,
Sir William Trelawny, started as the brainchild
of Edward Moulton Barrett, the great-grandfather
of the famous poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Barrett, a wealthy planter and merchant at the
time, laid out the plans for the development
of the town on a piece of property he owned,
then called Palmetto Point; at the time it was
the only planned urban centre on the island.
By 1793 there were close to 150 palatial residences,
some the townhouses of planters from adjoining
districts, others the fashionable two-storey
homes above the shops of merchants who dominated
the portside economy. There were also the more
humble dwellings of artisans, servants and slaves
who formed the backbone of the economy.
In
its heyday, Falmouth was considered to be the
most cosmopolitan city in the western world,
the ‘Paris of the Indies’. The town
had five newspapers, an active literary and
fine arts society and – arguably its most
distinctive attribute – fresh running
water pumped from the Martha Brae River and
piped from a reservoir in the centre of town
into homes and other buildings. It was also
home to a vast number of merchant shops and
traders selling slaves, sugar, rum, fine furniture
and logwood as well as the Albert George Market,
the largest and most popular coastal market
at the time.
Since
those times, Falmouth has maintained a long
and distinguished reputation as a centre for
commerce, both in the formal and informal sectors.
Today the market is still one of the largest
and most attended – especially on Wednesdays
– when traders from all over the island
congregate on the streets for ‘Bend-down
market’. On Wednesdays, consumers can
purchase all sorts of foodstuff, haberdashery
and home items at some of the best prices available
on the north coast.
In
the late 1800s, following the demise of sugar
as a globally lucrative agricultural product,
Falmouth began a steady decline in importance,
and soon the harbour which once welcomed close
to thirty ships in one day, saw fewer than that
in a month.
Now
the sugar money is long gone, but many of the
splendid original buildings remain, some in
ruins, others masterfully restored to their
former glory. In recognition of its rich historical
legacy, Falmouth has been declared a World Heritage
Site by the United Nations, and is a Jamaican
National Monument. Slowly, the town is being
restored, one building at a time, and most residents
expect that in the near future their town will
once again be the most fashionable and cosmopolitan
city in the Caribbean. Until such time, Falmouth
will continue to be a centre of commerce on
the north coast, and certainly deserving of
the attention it periodically receives. The
town still exudes a spirit of grandeur, and
a walk through town reveals charm and grace
where once was wealth and prosperity.
Interesting
Story
Most of the town of Falmouth lies
on land below sea level, and shortly after the
town was built, concerns about the purity of
the water supply were raised, particularly because
most residents accessed their water from wells
dug to the same level as pit latrines. In 1798
a committee, formed to explore solutions to
the water problem, devised what was then a marvellous
breakthrough. The Falmouth Water Company, the
group instituted to install and manage the works,
built a Persian Water Wheel on the nearby Martha
Brae River. The water wheel scooped up hundreds
of gallons of water, transferring it via metal
pipes to a reservoir in the centre of the town
square. From the reservoir, water was piped
into buildings around town. There was even a
connection to a pump on the dockyard so that
ships could replenish their fresh water supplies
without crewmembers leaving the wharf!
The
development of the Falmouth water supply system
is just one indicator of the wealth and grandeur
of the town. In the eighteenth century few cities
around the world had piped water, even the much
larger cities in North America like New York
City were behind the times in this area.
Famous For
The town of Falmouth certainly contains
the largest collection of Georgian style buildings
in the country; some estimates, however, claim
this collection is also the largest in the West
Indies! The number aside, some of the finest
representations of buildings from the period
are to be found here, and each of these structures
tells a unique tale of different people's lifestyles
and of the economic and social significance
of the town better than any written record could
represent.
Over
the years, some of these very telling
structures have fallen into disrepair,
but slowly this trend is changing. A committee
of professionals, academics and concerned
citizens formed the Falmouth Restoration
Corporation, and this small group has
been managing and overseeing the restoration
process of buildings around town, on a
case-by-case basis.
Perhaps
the most encouraging trend in the restoration
of the town is the fact that not only
are large public buildings and the grand
stately homes of the merchant and planter
classes being restored, but the small
private homes of members of the working
classes, of the emancipated slaves and
skilled artisans. For now, and quite possibly
for a long time to come, the restoration
of Falmouth will be a work-in-progress,
but over time and following the established
trend, the town will once again be the
vibrant, graceful urban centre it was
once.
Must
See
Although the best way to capture
the essence of Falmouth is to do a complete
walking tour, there are some buildings
that stand out, even more so after restoration.
One such building is the Baptist Manse
on Market Street near the waterfront,
an imposing stone structure with a stately
wooden staircase. Reputed to have housed
the first Masonic Temple in Jamaica, this
building has changed hands many times.
Perhaps, its most notable owner was Revd.
William Knibb, famous Baptist preacher
and abolitionist. Today it is a flagship
structure in the town’s restoration.
The completed project will not only contribute
to the physical renewal of the town, but
also to the cultural revival of the community.
The lower level of the building will house
a community-based initiative, while the
upper level will be an art gallery displaying
the work of local artists.
Say
Hello To
Say hello to Dr. Jim Parrent,
Executive Director of the Falmouth Heritage
Renewal is the man in town to speak to.
Under his leadership the restoration of
many homes and buildings in the town has
been undertaken and completed, and that
is just a tiny part of his contribution
to the town!
Depending
on his schedule, he may guide you on a
walking tour of Falmouth, or put you in
touch with a trained guide attached to
the Jamaica Heritage Trail, a community-based
agency designed to stimulate interest
in the heritage and architectural legacy
of the town. Ask anyone around town where
to find him, and if someone does not recognize
the name, ask for "the white man
who fixes the houses around town".
You'll find him. |
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Glistening
Waters
Home to the world famous " Luminous Lagoon"
It’s the beginning of a nighttime rain
shower at the “Luminous Lagoon”
in Rock, Trelawny. Slow and deliberate drops
hit the lagoon’s surface, making small
fluorescent green circles that shine on the
dark water. As the rain gets heavier and the
drops more persistent, the entire lagoon ignites
with a bright green glow.
Without
the rain, the lagoon is no less dramatic. Green
sparks fly from hundreds of fishes swimming,
and surround boats and people passing through
the luminous waters.
The
glow comes from small micro-organisms that emit
a flash of light when disturbed. Jamaica’s
Luminous Lagoon is one of four places in the
world where these micro-organisms live and create
this natural phenomena, known as bioluminescence.
It’s said that out of the four, the Luminous
Lagoon is the brightest in the world –
a fact that has and continues to awe scientists
and visitors alike.
The
“Luminous Lagoon” stretches along
the marshlands from the small community of Rock
to the town of Falmouth, Trelawny. Over the
years, scientists from around the world have
come to the Luminous Lagoon to investigate the
phenomena. Their research shows the lagoon is
the best place to see these micro-organisms,
called dinoflagellates or pryodinium bahamene,
because of two reasons. Firstly, there are literally
millions of tiny micro-organisms living in the
lagoon. The lagoon is formed at the point where
the Martha Brae River meets the Caribbean Sea,
and the dinoflagellates thrive in the layers
where the salt and fresh water combine. The
organisms glow brightest in shallow, warm water,
and generally the lagoon is about 3-4 feet deep,
and only 8 feet at its deepest point.
Boat
tours of the lagoon are available every night
from Glistening Waters Restaurant and Marina.
The 45-minute tour takes you around the edges
of the lagoon. On the quiet lagoon, everything
seems to sparkle – the boat rips through
the water creating a fluorescent wake, bright
outlines of fishes zip through the water, and
lights flicker from distant towns and the stars
overhead. Throughout the tour, your guide will
recount the lagoon’s facts and tales.
He will also take you to the nesting ground
of cattle egrets, where you’ll see thousands
of white birds perched in the mangrove trees.
The
highlight of the tour comes when the boat anchors
near the middle of the lagoon, so you can swim.
“I’ve never lost a tourist,”
boasts the guide, “you glow where-ever
you are, so you’re easy to find!”
And it’s true – as you slip into
the warm and calm water, all around your body
lights up and a green glow flashes as you glide
through the water. The swim is both exhilarating
and fascinating!
Before
or after the tour or in the evenings, dine or
have a cocktail at Glistening Waters Restaurant,
which serves tasty Jamaican cuisine. By day,
Glistening Waters also offers deep-sea fishing
tours, and sunset booze cruise tours between
the Marina and Montego Bay.
Glistening
Waters’ “Luminous Lagoon”
is one of the most incredible spots in the world.
The glowing lagoon will amaze you and fill you
with wonder, and is a sight not to be missed!
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& Sources:
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