King's House, Jamaica

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King's House
General information
Type Official residence
Location Kingston
Country Jamaica
Coordinates 18°01′24″N 76°47′02″W / 18.0232°N 76.7840°W / 18.0232; -76.7840
Current tenants Governor-General of Jamaica
Construction started 1907
Completed 1908
Owner Government of Jamaica
Design and construction
Architect Sir Charles Nicholson
Website
Official site

King's House (also known as Government House) is the official residence of the Governor-General of Jamaica, who represents the Jamaican Monarch, and head of state.

By the year 1690, the first official residence in Jamaica (for use by the Governors of Jamaica) was in Port Royal. Another was constructed in Spanish Town in 1762. When Kingston became the capital of Jamaica in 1872, a new official residence (called King's House) was constructed at the former home of the Anglican Lord Bishop of the Diocese of Jamaica. This house was destroyed by an earthquake in 1907.

Soon after, Sir Charles Nicholson, a British architect supervised the rebuilding and restoration of King's House. Despite a major fire in 1908, the present King’s House is structurally similar to the reconstruction of 1907.

Today, King's House is still used as the office of the Governor-General of Jamaica. It is also the venue for state and ceremonial functions, including the swearing in of Ministers of Government and Judges of the High Court.

In 1962, it was used as a filming location in the first James Bond film Dr. No, as a "Government House".

External links


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