Capital of Nevis
St. Kitts & Nevis
Original Official Site of the
St. Kitts & Nevis
Department of Tourism
Exploring
St. Kitts | Exploring
Nevis
A town with a colorful history,
Charlestown was built on an area which could be protected by
Fort Charles and Fort Black Rocks. It was the birthplace of Alexander
Hamilton, whose family home has been painstakingly reconstructed
as a museum. The original, built in 1680, was destroyed during
an earthquake in 1840. Most of the 18th century stone houses
were destroyed during the relatively common earthquakes of the
1800's, which led to a practice of building wooden upper floors
over a ground floor made of stone.
Charlestown is also the site of the oldest synagogue in the
Caribbean. During the 1700's, 25% of the population were Sephardic
Jews, who brought the latest in sugar cane growing and processing
techniques to Nevis and the Leeward Islands, after being expelled
from Brazil during the 17th century.
Charlestown's Market Place is the hub of activity on Tuesday,
Thursday and Saturday mornings, and the Cotton Ginnery close
by, is active during cotton harvest time (March and April).
Click here to
see what visitors are saying about interesting places in St.
Kitts & Nevis.
|
