The Jamaican Georgian style
When the English docked on Jamaica’s shores, they brought with them a flair for Georgian architecture and, between the 1750s and 1850s, built a number of buildings in what was later known as the Jamaican Georgian architectural style.
It’s known for its elegant features of Georgian styling like balustrades, lattices, wide, sweeping staircases and pineapple shaped finials, but with the functionality to withstand Jamaica’s tropical climate.
Grand colonial plantation houses were built on stilts or pilings for air circulation to prevent rot, keep the ground floor cool and to keep out creepy crawlies like snakes, rats and insects.
Much of Jamaica’s prominent architecture from this period is located in the capital, Kingston, with a few sugar plantation mansions dotted across the island. The style’s popularity meant it was used to create a number of public buildings, such as Falmouth Court House.
A classic example of the Jamaican Georgian style is Devon House in Kingston. Set in 11 acres of gardens, it was built in 1881 as the home of George Stiebel. Nowadays, you can take a tour of nine of its rooms, including the extravagant ballroom, drawing room and master bedroom.