Falmouth, Jamaica

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Falmouth is the chief town and capital of Trelawny parish, Jamaica. Falmouth, capital of the Parish of Trelawny, is situated on Jamaica's north coast near Montego Bay. Founded by Thomas Reid in 1769, Falmouth flourished as a county seat and market center for the Parish of Trelawny for forty years. Jamaica had become the world's leading sugar producer. The town was named after the birthplace of His Excellency Sir William Trelawny, Falmouth, Cornwall, Britain, and is noted for being one of the Caribbean’s best-preserved historic towns.

Falmouth compares well with Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia Colonial Williamsburg in the United States. Falmouth was meticulously planned from the start, with wide streets in a regular grid, adequate water supply, and public buildings. Interestingly, Falmouth received piped water before New York City.

During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Falmouth was one of the busiest ports in Jamaica. It was home to masons, carpenters, tavern-keepers, mariners, planters and others. It was a wealthy town in a wealthy parish with a rich racial mix. This was the heyday of King Sugar. Within the parish, nearly one hundred plantations were actively manufacturing sugar and rum for export to Britain. Jamaica had become the world's leading sugar producer. In Falmouth Harbor as many as 30 tall-ships could be seen on any given day, delivering goods and slaves, and loading their holds with rum and sugar manufactured on nearby plantations.

Starting in 1840, Falmouth’s post-emancipation fortunes as a commercial center declined. This decline and lack of support for development has left many of its early buildings standing. The streets are lined with many small houses known for their unique fretwork and windows, major merchant and planter complexes, and commercial buildings, all dating from 1790 to 1840.

While Falmouth saw little commercial advancement after the 1840’s, houses continued to be built. The town’s buildings, the old and the not so old, make up the historic townscape of Falmouth. These shared characteristics weave the varied building styles into a distinctive pattern of early Jamaican architecture, and a critical mass of each variety makes the town an unusually distinctive place.

Places of interest include: the Albert George Shopping and Historical Centre, dating from 1895; the former residence of slave owner John Tharp; the town house of plantation owner Edward Barrett; and the St Peter’s Anglican Church, built in 1795.

[edit] Sights

Greenwood Great House
Martha Brae Rafters' Village

[edit] External links

wordtravels.com

Falmouth Heritage Renewal

Falmouth Heritage Renewal's mission is to preserve and restore the historic buildings of Falmouth, Jamaica while making the lives of the people who live there better. Falmouth Heritage Renewal is a United States-based non-profit organization.