| Great houses and historical buildings |
Montego Bay Court House
Built around 1774 this building has proven to be quite an important monument in St. James' history, it is best known for the trial of National Hero Sam Sharpe which was held in 1832. Sharpe led the Great Slave Rebellion in December 1831. Many estates, including the surrounding areas of the Parish were burnt. Sam Sharpe and many others involved in the rebellion were tried and hanged. The court house had been restored and is now known as the Montego Bay Civic Centre, the centre has a museum. |
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Greenwood Great House, Montego Bay
Built by the Barretts in 1800, the home still has much of its original furniture. In fact, Greenwood has the largest and rarest collection of musical instruments and books in the island. The great house has a wonderful view of the caribbean sea. |
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Rose Hall Great House, Montego Bay
Built in the mid 19th Century overlooking the beautiful Caribbean sea, on the hills of the former Rose Hall Sugar Estate, It was restored to its former glory, the house has a Georgian architecture. |
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Town House, Montego Bay
Built in 1776, a Georgian three-story building boasts a short overhang on the roof and as a result more sun is allowed to reach the building. |
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Falmouth Court House, Trelawny
This courthouse was erected in 1815. The building is a Georgian design. These building are usually well proportioned with seemingly vertical and horizontal grads crossing the building. The courthouse though razed by fire in 1926 was rebuilt. |
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Good Hope Great House, Trelawny
Built in the 18th century great house called Good Hope. The Great House overlooks the Queen of Spain Valley, the meandering Martha Brae River and the mysterious Cockpit Mountains. |
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Savanna-la-mar Court House, Westmoreland
The Savanna-la-mar Court House was built in 1925. |
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Manning's High School, Westmoreland
The history of the Manning's School dates back to a quarter of a century before the actual setting up of the school when in 1711, Thomas Manning, a Westmoreland planter, give a gift of land for the setting up of a free school. |
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Seaford Town, Westmoreland
After the Abolition of Slavery (Aug. 1, 1834) many planters saw an impending shortage of labour, one measure sought was the establishment of a European settlement by Lord Seaford, then owner of Montpelier Estate. Over one thousand (1000) Germans were brought to Jamaica with the promise of being granted house, land, and employment. Some of the buildings in Seaford Town have retained aspects of German architecture. |
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Bellevue Great House, St Ann
Archaeological evidence points to the fact that the House is situated on an extensive Taino site. In fact, there are two separate Taino sites on the property. In 1982, the only gold artifact ever found in Jamaica was unearthed there. The arifact is a gold disc dated AD 600-800. |
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Belmont Great House, St. Ann
The house is in despair but the mahogany parelling with wall paper can still be seen. To the left across the barbeque is a group of stone out buildings including a kitchen, store room and a three seater privy and a look up with heavy chairs let into the wall which allows one to presuppose it dates from the days of slavery. |
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Bromley Great house, St Ann
The Great House, made of wood with cut stone foundation, dates from the Eighteenth Century. It has a wrap around veranda and sash windows which helps to keep the house cool. At the front of the Great House there is an elegant porte cochere with square wooden columns. |
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Cardiff Hall Great House, St. Ann
The Blagrove family owned Cardiff Hall from 1655 to 1950 and it is perhaps the only property in Jamaica which has been handed down in the same family for so many years. The present Cardiff Hall Great House was built in 1789 by John Forsythe, the Scot Architect. He apparently rebuilt the house that had been erected by slave labour. |
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Liberty Hill Great House, St. Ann
Liberty Hill Plantation was first listed in the Crop Accounts in 1786 as a pimento plantation. In 1786, earnings at Liberty Hill were made from the sale of 2,089 pounds of pimento, 47,190 plantains, 2,000 shingles, 1 horse and the rental of enslaved Africans, houses and grass pieces. The property was then owned by the Traceys, who also owned the Windsor sugar estate in St. Ann. It is said that the Traceys used their Liberty Hill residence, which was probably built in the late 1700s, as a change in the hot weather. |
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Seville Great House, St. Ann
Seville Great house is symbolic of the English period. After the capture of the island in 1655, New Seville was abandoned by the Spaniards.
This site is now operated as a heritage attraction.
Email tours@jnht.com for more information. |
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Devon House, St. Andrew
The architectural style of Devon House has been described as Jamaican-Georgian displaying very formal and symmetrical lines. The Georgian style came about in England between 1714 and 1811.
www.devonhousejamaica.com |
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