| Kingston
Walking Tours
Spanish
Town Heritage
Introduction
As
Jamaica’s capital city from 1534
to 1872, Spanish Town was the focal point
of the island’s social, economic
and political life. During this time,
the town witnessed the evolution of modern
Jamaica. It welcomed the Spanish when
they fled Sevilla La Nueva and observed
as they developed its land. It watched
the English invasion and subsequent occupation
of the island, and later, listened while
the governor read the Emancipation Proclamation,
freeing all slaves, in its “Plaza
Mayora”. In its prime, Spanish Town
was a magnificent and impressive metropolis
with stately red-brick homes and grand
monuments.
Today,
it is Jamaica’s third largest urban
centre with a population of approximately
87,000 people and sadly, much of its grandeur
has been lost to the ravages of time.
Some shining examples of Georgian architecture
still exist, however, as reminders of
the town’s golden era. To ensure
you don’t miss any of these important
sights, it’s best to have a local
guide help you find your way through the
town’s maze of streets and lanes.
Start: Spanish Town Methodist Church,
White Church Street
Finish: Emancipation Square, at Rodney’s
Memorial
Distance/Time: Approximately 0.75 km (0.5
miles) |
The
Tour
1.
THE METHODIST CHURCH
Opened in 1953, this small but beautiful chapel
serves as the head of the Spanish Town Methodist
Circuit, which was created in 1816 and consists
of five churches.
Immediately facing the Methodist church, you’ll
notice the massive western wall of the St Catherine
District Prison.
2. THE PRISON
Formerly called the Middlesex and Surrey County
Gaol, the St Catherine District Prison is one
of Jamaica’s largest maximum-security
facilities and has existed since the early 1800s.
It is the only place in Jamaica where capital
punishment may be carried out.
From the Methodist Church, walk northwards along
White Church Street for 100m, until you arrive
at the Cenotaph and Cathedral.
3. THE CENOTAPH
This white monument stands in honour of the
Jamaican soldiers who fought in World Wars II
and I. There is one in each parish capital.
The Cenotaph stands directly opposite one of
Spanish Town’s most famous landmarks –
the Anglican Cathedral of St James.
4. THE CATHEDRAL
The oldest Anglican cathedral in the Commonwealth
(outside the UK), the Cathedral of St James
is a visual repository of the history of Spanish
Town. Originally built by the Spanish in approximately
1520, it was one of the first ecclesiastical
buildings established in the New World. During
the English take-over of Jamaica and the early
decades of their rule, the Spanish chapel was
destroyed. In the early 18th century, the British
constructed an Anglican church on the foundations
of the old Spanish chapel. Over time they renovated
and expanded the building and, in 1843, it became
the first Anglican Cathedral built outside of
Britain.
Today,
the Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of the
Diocese of Jamaica. As the final resting place
of many of Jamaica’s luminaries, including
governors and other dignitaries, it is also
a living museum of Jamaica’s colonial
past. The dead are commemorated by marble plaques
and sculptures, which adorn the Cathedral’s
walls and grounds. Of special note are the commemorative
pieces, created by John Bacon, one of the most
famous British sculptors of the 18th century.
The Spanish Town Cathedral houses the largest
collection of his work in Jamaica.
Beside
the Church rests the Cathedral Hall and a small,
scenic square.
After you exit the Cathedral, continue northwards
for approximately 200m along White Church Street,
passing a vacant lot to your right, on which
once stood a synagogue. As you stroll along,
look out for colourful, but dilapidated, cottages
with charming fretwork designs, jalousie windows,
and cornice mouldings, typical of the Jamaican-Vernacular
style of architecture, popular in 18th and 19th
centuries. Eventually, the road will narrow
and open onto the most stunning Georgian square
in the Caribbean, recently renamed Emancipation
Square (1997). Standing in the centre of the
square is a small park with a fountain and several
beautiful palm trees. On the southern side of
the park are the burnt remnants of the Courthouse.
5. THE COURTHOUSE
Standing on the aptly named Constitution Street,
the Courthouse was constructed in 1819, on the
former site of a Spanish chapel and cemetery,
rumoured to have been built with the caveat
“ill to anyone who uses this site for
any other than its originally intended purpose”.
The chapel was destroyed and the British erected
an armoury in its stead. However, the armoury
proved ill fated – some say there were
many unfortunate accidents – and so was
replaced by the courthouse in the mid-19th century.
The courthouse, in turn, was destroyed by fire
in the 1980s, leaving many to wonder if the
location is truly cursed.
The Parish Council Buildings stands to the eastern
side of the square.
6. THE PARISH COUNCIL BUILDING
Officially called the House of Assembly, this
red-brick, two-storey building was the official
meeting place of the local legislature for most
of the 18th and 19th centuries, until 1872 when
Kingston, took over as the capital of Jamaica.
During its tenure as the House of Assembly,
the building witnessed many heated debates and
momentous occurrences. One such event, happened
in 1710 when, it is said, during an attempted
mutiny in the legislature, a councilman attacked
the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Peter
Beckford Jr. Peter Beckford hearing of the debacle,
rushed to save his son, but suffered a heart
attack and died en route. One of the foremost
statesmen in Jamaica’s history, Peter
Beckford Sr. served as the first Custos of Kingston,
first Speaker of the House of Assembly, and
first Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica. He was
also the sponsor of one of Jamaica’s first
high schools, Beckford and Smith’s school
(1744), which was at one time housed in the
Assembly building. Today, the old House of Assembly
is used as the offices of the St Catherine Parish
Council.
To the North of the park is a building, fronted
by an elegant white colonnade. This is the Rodney
Memorial.
7. THE RODNEY MEMORIAL
During the Battle of the Saints in 1782, Admiral
Lord Rodney defeated Admiral du Grasse of the
French fleet in the waters between Martinique
and Dominica, saving Jamaica from almost certain
French invasion. In February 1783, the government
of Jamaica commissioned John Bacon, a renowned
British sculptor, to create a statue of Admiral
Lord Rodney, as an expression of their appreciation.
The Assembly spent £5,200 on the statue
alone and a reputed £31,000 on the entire
project. Bacon sourced the finest marble from
Italy to create the sculpture of the Admiral,
dressed in a Roman robe. On its completion,
the statue was fronted with a cannon taken from
the French flagship in the battle.
Behind
the statue, you’ll find the Jamaica Archives
– the greatest repository of the island’s
written history. The Archives house many important
documents, including a few signed by historical
giants, such as King Louis XIV, George Washington,
and others. The collection is considered one
of the finest in the Western Hemisphere.
To the west of the Square stands the façade
of Old King’s House.
8. OLD KING’S HOUSE
Built in 1762 at a cost, it is said, of £30
000, this stately mansion was used as the official
residence of the governor of Jamaica for almost
a hundred years. Noted historian Edward Long
described the building as “the noblest
and best edifice of its kind.” Constructed
from stones dug from the Hope River in St Andrew,
this residence enjoyed a front- row seat for
the unfolding history of Jamaica. Captain Bligh,
Lord Horatio Nelson, Admiral Rodney and Simón
Bolivar are but a few of the noted personalities
received there. The declaration of the abolition
of slavery in the British West Indies was read
from the steps of its portico. National Hero
Paul Bogle led a historic march from St Thomas
to the house’s front door, only to have
his petitions flatly rejected by Governor Eyre.
When the nation’s capital was moved to
Kingston in 1872, King’s House was temporarily
abandoned, but later became the home of Jamaica’s
first university – Queen’s College.
In October of 1925, a massive fire ravaged the
building, destroying it almost entirely. Today,
the front façade has been renovated and
the People’s Museum of Craft and Technology
is located in its stables.
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