Greathouses (Plantation Houses) in Jamaica

 
Greathouses, also known as Plantation houses, were the grand residences at the heart of Jamaican estates during the colonial period. Let me share some insights about these historical structures:
 

Purpose and Significance:

The Great House served as the seat of authority on an estate. It was the home of the planters (the estate owners) or attorneys who acted on behalf of absentee owners.

These houses were not only living quarters but also centers of administration, social life, and economic management for the plantation.
 

Historical Context:

  • Great Houses were constructed during a time when sugar cane made Jamaica the wealthiest English colony in the West Indies.
  • The architectural style of these houses was heavily influenced by Georgian styles from Europe.
  • The natural island conditions led to a distinctly Creole character in their design.
 
 

Construction and Materials:

  • Locally quarried stone and termite-resistant tropical hardwoods were widely used.
  • Bricks, which arrived as ballast on ships, were used more sparingly.
  • These houses are now arguably the most prominent and tangible remaining symbol of the plantation era.
  • The Jamaica National Heritage Trust has declared several of them National Monuments.
 
 

Legacy and Significance:

  • Traditionally, the great house was the crown jewel of a country estate.
  • Typically, it was an impressive two-story structure made of stone and wood.
  • Most of these estates were sugar plantations, as sugar was the economic driver during Jamaica’s colonial period.
  • The great house heritage is also intertwined with the legacy of slavery, adding poignant history to these estates.
 
 

Design and Architecture:

The size and profitability of the property, as well as the wealth of the owner, determined the size and grandeur of the Great House.
  • Most Great Houses were two-story buildings:
    1. The base was typically constructed using brick, cut stone, and mortar.
    2. The upper floor was often made of wood.
 
  • Variations existed:
    1. Some were one-story structures made of wood, cut stone, or Spanish walling.
    2. Others were two-story buildings made of brick, wood, or cut stone.
 
 

List of Greathouses (Plantation houses) in Jamaica:

 
 
Comments (1)
robert campbell
Thanks. Knapdale Great House was finally destroyed in the 1950s by The Kaiser Bauxite Company who mined the area. Kaiser salvaged the stone gatepost with engraved Arms and family Crest now displayed at Columbus Park Outdoor Museum as testament to the owner, Duncan Campbell of Ashfield and Duntroon in Argyll, Scotland. I gather the building had been previously damaged in a hurricane in 1944 and that artifacts of value such as wooden floors and doors were salvaged and incorporated into Unity Gue...  more
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