HERITAGE SITES IN PORTLAND

St George’s Anglican Church

The St. George Anglican Church is so named because it was once the Parish Church of the former parish of St. George. In 1867, when Sir John Peter Grant (then Governor of the island), reduced the number of parishes from 22 to 14, St. George became part of the parish of Portland. The Church, erected in 1814, is constructed of cut stone.

The stones came from England as ballast in ships. Stained glass panel windows are used throughout the design. The entrance to the Church is through a solid raised panelled door, which forms the base of the tall castellated clock tower.

Not only is the Church among the many historical buildings found in the town of Buff Bay, but it is also the oldest building in the town.

Port Antonio Court House

This stone and brick building was erected in 1895 on the direction of the Colonial Secretary. It consists of two storeys and has an upper verandah both at the front and the rear of the building. It is fenced round by an ornate iron baluster and is supported by columns of cast iron work made by William Macfarlane and Company of Glasgow, Scotland. Soon after its erection the Parish Council obtained use of the lower section of the building in exchange for another building they used on Harbour Street.

A plaque on the wall inside the building bears the message to the Governor from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, dated November 16, 1918, after World War I.

Fort George

Fort George is situated on the Titchfield Peninsula in the town of Port Antonio which is located in the parish of Portland. The idea for a fort in Port Antonio was born in 1728-29, when a committee of the House of Assembly met to consider measures to be taken in the face of a possible Spanish invasion. In 1728, Christian Lilly was assigned the task of building a fort which after being built became known as Fort George. The fort served a dual purpose, firstly as a source of defence against foreign invasion, and secondly to deal with the menace of the maroons in the area.

The fort which was built to hold 22 guns and several George III cannons, has walls ten feet thick. The fort was used during World War I. The barracks of the fort now houses classrooms for the Titchfield High School.