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Downtown Kingston Heritage

THE “JEWISH SYNAGOGUE”
This redundancy in the name is characteristic of the local penchant for emphasis in speech. Home to the United Congregation of Israelites, this magnificent white structure is a true testament to the contribution of the Jews to Jamaica’s growth and development. The Jewish community is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, in Jamaica. Jews were among the island’s first colonial settlers, arriving shortly after Columbus discovered the island in the 15th century. The first synagogue was built in Port Royal in approximately 1646, but was destroyed during the earthquake of 1692. Over time, more Jewish immigrants came to Jamaica, settling in many towns islandwide, erecting synagogues and consecrating cemeteries. Today, however, the Kingston Synagogue is the only one on the island. The present building was erected in 1912 to replace an earlier building dating from 1881.

Fifty metres southward, on the other side of Duke Street, is the enduring symbol of Jamaica’s democracy – the George William Gordon House.

GEORGE WILLIAM GORDON HOUSE
Affectionately called Gordon House, this building has been the seat of Jamaica’s parliament since its construction in 1960, when it supplanted its southward neighbour, the Headquarters House. The building is named in honour of one of Jamaica’s National Heroes, George William Gordon, a member of the house of Assembly in the mid-1800s, who spoke out against the unfair treatment of blacks by members of the white society and colonial government. Gordon was tried and sentenced to death in the aftermath of the 1865 rebellion. He was accused of being in collusion with the leader of that insurrection, Paul Bogle (another National Hero).

Beside Gordon House is Headquarters House.

HEADQUARTERS HOUSE
Formerly Hibbert House, this wonderfully maintained building is a fitting home to the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT). Hibbert House was one of several stately Jamaican homes built in the mid-to-late 18th century, a time of great wealth for some Kingston residents. Local lore states that at that time Thomas Hibbert, a wealthy merchant, took a bet with a group of friends to see who could construct the most beautiful home in Kingston and so win the admiration and affection of a young lady. Thomas Hibbert built the house using the Georgian architectural style, popular in England in the 18th century. Although Hibbert House was then, as it is now, an extremely attractive building, it is not known who won the wager.

In 1756, Thomas Hibbert became the Speaker of the House of Assembly, and so, for a time, the meetings of House of Assembly and the Legislative Council were held there. In 1814, the War Office of the West Indies regiment bought the house, making it the headquarters and residence of the British Royal Army General, who was stationed in Kingston. The house later served as the offices of the Colonial Secretary and as the permanent seat of the Jamaica Legislature from 1872 to 1960, when it was replaced by Gordon House.

After leaving Headquarters House, head south once more along Duke Street and turn right at the first intersection onto Sutton Street, which leads you Parade, Kingston’s bustling town centre and the heart of the city.

PARADE
The name ‘Parade’ is a throwback to the city’s early days, when the British ‘Redcoats’ displayed their military might on a weekly basis by ‘parading’ and marching in this area. Currently the city’s transportation hub, Parade boasts several points of interest:

THE WARD THEATRE
“On this site has stood a public theatre since 1777.” This inscription on a marble tablet at the base of this massive building on the northern side of the square says it all. The focal point of all things cultural in Jamaica for well over 200 years, the Ward is home to our beloved National Pantomime, which opens on December 26 annually, rain or shine, and usually runs into March or April of the new year.

THE MANLEY STATUE
At the northern entrance to the park, facing Upper King Street, the statue of Norman Manley looks paternally on as Jamaicans go about their daily affairs. The statue was erected in tribute to one of the nation’s founding fathers, Norman Washington Manley, who was also the founder of the People’s National Party (PNP), the father of perhaps our most renowned Prime Minister (Michael Manley) and husband to the ‘Mother of Jamaican Art’ (Edna Manley).

COKE METHODIST CHURCH
Standing on the site of the first Methodist church in Jamaica, this impressive red brick edifice has presided over the intersection of East Parade and East Queen Street since the early 19th century. It is named after Dr Thomas Coke, founder of the Methodist Missions in the West Indies.

ST WILLIAM GRANT PARK
This oasis in the teeming city is named in honour of one of Jamaica’s premier labour leaders of the 1930s. It was once used as a military parade ground. At the eastern entrance to the Park is the statue of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Strangely, the statue faces inwards, away from the street associated with Her Majesty (East Queen Street). It is said that during the great earthquake of 1907, the statue, which had previously faced outwards, turned completely around on its base!!

KINGSTON PARISH CHURCH
Rebuilt in 1909, the Kingston Parish Church, otherwise called the Church of St Thomas the Apostle, dominates the southern side of the square. In the churchyard, you’ll find graves that date back to 1699. Inside, the walls are lined with plaques and tiles chronicling the luminaries of Jamaica’s history, including the story of one John Wolmer, a goldsmith who bequeathed his wealth to the founding of a “free school in the parish in which (he) should happen to die.” Wolmer died in 1729, and the school bearing his name – the oldest British institution of secondary education outside the UK – was established on the lands adjacent to the church. The Wolmer’s Schools (Boys’ School, Girls’ School and Preparatory school) today stand at the northern end of National Heroes’ Circle, proudly maintaining his legacy almost 275 years later.

THE BUSTAMANTE STATUE
At the entrance of the park, the statue of one of our most colourful political figures, Sir Alexander Bustamante, faces south. This firebrand labour leader and founder of the Jamaica Labour Party rose to become the fledgling nation’s first Prime Minister in 1962. The statue depicts Sir Alexander in a typically militant mood, baring his chest and daring police to “shoot me!” at a tense labour rally in the city in the 1930s.

After you have explored Parade’s captivating sights, return to the Parish Church. Turn south at the corner of the Parish Church, onto King Street.

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