Pedro St. James Castle

Last updated

The fully restored Pedro St. James Castle on Grand Cayman Pedro St. James Castle Restored.jpg
The fully restored Pedro St. James Castle on Grand Cayman

Pedro St. James, Pedro St. James Castle, or Pedro's Castle is the oldest existing stone building in the Cayman Islands. [1]

Contents

History

Pedro St. James was built in 1780 by an Englishman named William Eden. Although it is not known why and how Eden came to Cayman, he became sufficiently prosperous for his small land holding near Spotts to be marked on the first map of Grand Cayman in 1773 as Edens. Using slave labour, Eden styled the home as a small scale great house of the kind then found on plantations in Jamaica. The house received its name due to its location along Pedro Point.

Being the largest home on the island at the time, Pedro St. James was a key meeting place for principal inhabitants, eventually becoming the home of the first elected parliament of the islands in December 1831, causing it to be known as "The Birthplace of Democracy in the Cayman Islands".

On 3 May 1835, the proclamation ending slavery in the British Empire (including the Cayman Islands) was read atop the iconic stone staircase of the great house.

Pedro St. James after years of neglect and decades before it was fully restored Pedro St. James Castle.jpg
Pedro St. James after years of neglect and decades before it was fully restored

During the 20th century the site continued to be privately owned, but the building was reduced to ruin after decades of neglect. In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s the house underwent extensive alterations as a tourist attraction and restaurant. It was in these modern times the property became known as "Pedro Castle", being renamed and refurbished to look like a castle by businessman Thomas "Tom" Hubbell.

Restoration

In 1991 the Cayman Islands government purchased Pedro St. James with the aim of preserving and restoring it to its 18th-century grandeur as a national historic site. The three-story building and its verandas were rebuilt and reconstructed in the original 18th-century style and is the most extensive restoration project in Cayman history. The property stands today in its restored state as a historic landmark and a dynamic piece of Caymanian history and heritage.[ citation needed ]

The landmark contains a visitors centre, theatre, exhibits, a gift shop, restaurant and bar. It is a popular venue for weddings and social events. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Sacramento State Historic Park</span> United States historic place

Old Sacramento State Historic Park occupies around one third of the property within the Old Sacramento Historic District of Sacramento, California. The Old Sacramento Historic District is a U.S. National Historic Landmark District. The Historic District is sometimes abbreviated as Old Sacramento, or Old Sac, and since the 1960s has been restored and developed as a significant tourist attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Eden</span> Suburb in Auckland, New Zealand

Mount Eden is a suburb in Auckland, New Zealand whose name honours George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland. It is 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the Central Business District (CBD). Mt Eden Road winds its way around the side of Mount Eden Domain and continues to weave back and forth as it descends into the valley; it runs south from Eden Terrace to Three Kings. Mt Eden village centre is located roughly between Valley Road and Grange Road. The domain is accessible on foot from many of the surrounding streets, and by vehicle from Mt Eden Road. The central focus of the suburb is Maungawhau / Mount Eden, a dormant volcano whose summit is the highest natural point on the Auckland isthmus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auchinleck House</span> Historic site

Auchinleck House is an 18th-century mansion in Scotland. It is situated near the town of Auchinleck near Cumnock and Ayr in East Ayrshire. The Auchinleck Estate has been inhabited since the 13th century, and the remains of Auchinleck Castle and Auchinleck Old House stand in the estate. The house is protected as a category A listed building, while the two ruined dwellings are scheduled monuments.

Castle Eden is a village in County Durham, England, south of Peterlee, Wingate, Hutton Henry, the A19 and Castle Eden Dene. The former Castle Eden Brewery was home to Castle Eden Ale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windsor Castle</span> Official country residence of British monarch

Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about 25 miles (40 km) west of central London. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Detour, Illinois</span> CDP in Illinois, United States

Grand Detour is an unincorporated census-designated place in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 429. The village is named after an odd turn in the Rock River, which flows north past the village, rather than its normal southwestern course. John Deere invented the steel plow in Grand Detour, and the John Deere House and Shop is a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotchtown (plantation)</span> Historic house in Virginia, United States

Scotchtown is a plantation located in Hanover County, Virginia, that from 1771 to 1778 was owned and used as a residence by U.S. Founding Father Patrick Henry, his wife Sarah and their children. He was a revolutionary and elected in 1778 as the first Governor of Virginia. The house is located in Beaverdam, Virginia, 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Ashland, Virginia on VA 685. The house, at 93 feet (28 m) by 35 feet (11 m), is one of the largest 18th-century homes to survive in the Americas. In its present configuration, it has eight substantial rooms on the first floor surrounding a central passage, with a full attic above and English basement with windows below. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinross House</span> Building

Kinross House is a late 17th-century country house overlooking Loch Leven, near Kinross in Kinross-shire, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eden Park Station No. 7</span> United States historic place

The Eden Park Station No. 7 is a historic structure located in Eden Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Constructed in the late nineteenth century as a significant part of the city water supply system, it was used for its original purpose for only a few decades. As a work of Cincinnati's most important architect, it has been named a historic site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunpowder magazine</span> Building used to store gunpowder

A gunpowder magazine is a magazine (building) designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety. Gunpowder, until superseded, was a universal explosive used in the military and for civil engineering: both applications required storage magazines. Most magazines were purely functional and tended to be in remote and secure locations. They are the successor to the earlier powder towers and powder houses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Rock (Garrison, New York)</span> Historic house in New York, United States

Castle Rock, also called Osborn Castle, is the estate of former Illinois Central Railroad president William H. Osborn in Garrison, New York, United States. It sits on the hill of the same name, looking down on the Hudson River 620 feet (190 m) below. Visible from West Point across the river and traffic on NY 9D passing through Garrison, it has become one of the most recognizable man-made landmarks of the Hudson Highlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Dimas Hotel</span> Historic hotel building in California, United States

The San Dimas Hotel, also known as Walker House, the Carruthers Home, and the San Dimas Mansion, is a historic structure in San Dimas, California, built by the San Jose Ranch Company in 1887. Originally built as a hotel, the 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) structure had 33 rooms and 14 fireplaces. The hotel was built in anticipation of a land boom that never happened, and it never had a paying guest. In 1889, the property was sold to James W. and Sue Walker for $25,000. After being occupied by seven generations of Walkers, the property was turned into a restaurant in 1979. The building became vacant in 1997 and was later acquired and renovated by the City of San Dimas. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of St. Louis</span>

The architecture of St. Louis exhibits a variety of commercial, residential, and monumental architecture. St. Louis, Missouri is known for the Gateway Arch, the tallest monument constructed in the United States. Architectural influences reflected in the area include French Colonial, German, early American, European influenced, French Second Empire, Victorian, and modern architectural styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medzhybizh Fortress</span>

Medzhybizh Fortress also known as Medzhybizh Castle, is situated at the confluence of the Southern Bug and Buzhok rivers, in the town of Medzhybizh, Ukraine. Today the castle is part of the National Historical and Cultural Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Landmarks Conservancy</span> American nonprofit organization

The New York Landmarks Conservancy is a non-profit organization "dedicated to preserving, revitalizing, and reusing" historic structures in New York state. It provides technical and financial skills to owners of historic properties. In the half century since its 1973 founding, the conservancy has provided more than $60 million in grants and loans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Castle, Castle Eden</span> Historic building in England

The Castle at Castle Eden, County Durham, England, is an 18th-century, Palladian style, mansion house and a Grade II* listed building. No trace remains of the medieval castle of Robert the Bruce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Chappaqua Historic District</span> Area of Chappaqua, New York, first settled by Quakers

The Old Chappaqua Historic District is located along Quaker Road in the town of New Castle, New York, United States, between the hamlets of Chappaqua and Millwood. It was the original center of Chappaqua, prior to the construction of the New York and Harlem Railroad and the erection of its station to the south in the mid-19th century. In 1974 it was recognized as a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Savannah is a town in the district of Bodden Town, Cayman Islands. With its close proximity to the territory's capital city, George Town, and housing being cheaper than in the capital, many opted to reside there. It is about a 10-minute drive from George Town. Savannah has one primary school, a post office, and a shopping center with a supermarket. There are a few restaurants and a café. Savannah is also the location of Pedro St. James Castle, which is the oldest building in the Cayman Islands and is often referred to as the “Birthplace of Democracy” in the islands, as the territory's first legislative body was formed there.

References

  1. 1 2 "Pedro St. James Grand Cayman".

    19°16′02″N81°17′30″W / 19.2671°N 81.2918°W / 19.2671; -81.2918