m


m

m 


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` ³In firing a salute on the King¶s birthday
two guns at Fort Balcares, in Falmouth,
exploded and two men of His Majesty¶s
55th Regiment were unfortunately
destroyed´ (Royal Gazette 1804 in GSOJ
1970:29).
 m


` Falmouth, the parish capital of Trelawny, is
located on the North Coast region of
Jamaica (Figure 2.1).
Figure 2.1
Map of Trelawny
Source: Jamaica Tourist Board
` The 1991 population census indicates that the
growth rate of Falmouth is very high in
comparison to Trelawny (STATIN 1994b).
` Between 1970 and 1991 the population of the
town moved from 3,900 to 8,000, an increase of
100%, while Trelawny¶s increased from 60,500
to 70,500, an increase of only 17%.
` This high growth rate is typical of other
designated urban areas in Trelawny and is the
result of rural-
rural-urban drift (STATIN 1994b).
 m


` Falmouth is a dormitory community for a
large tourism related work-
work-force that work
in Negril, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.
` The physical infrastructure of roads,
telephone, electricity and domestic water in
Falmouth are in fairly good condition.
` The exception is that sewage and other
waste water disposal systems are in need of
urgent upgrading.
 m


` The town has a number of social, civic and
commercial facilities, including churches, a
cinema, a courthouse, a revenue office, a
police station, a hospital, schools, a farmers¶
market and numerous shops and stores.
 m


` Falmouth caters to several thousand visitors
on a year round basis who enjoy
destinations such as river rafting, Swamp
Safari and the Trelawny Beach hotel (TBH).
` These destinations provide direct
employment for a number of local residents.
` Other commercial activities that are linked
to the tourism industry include souvenir
making, vending and transportation.
 m


` Virect earning from the tourism industry is
estimated to be in the millions of Jamaicans
dollars, however, only a small portion remains
in the area as salaries with the rest going out as
profits to investors.
` Next to tourism, agro-
agro-industries and light
manufacturing employ the greatest number of
people in the area.
` However, the local economy is not doing well
in term of jobs creation and supplying other
need of the residents.
 m


` By virtue of its heritage and culture the
town of Falmouth could be developed as a
tourist attraction.
` Veveloping Falmouth would diversify and
add a new segment to Jamaica¶s tourism
image complimenting the sun, sea and sand
image, and creating opportunities for the
participation of local resident.
 m


` It would help Jamaica become a multiple
attraction destination that could ultimately
increase the island¶s tourist traffic in addition to
increasing economic opportunities in Falmouth
and revitalizing the town¶s fledgling economy.
` This type of development proposed here would
render the product µsustainable¶ since it would
capitalize on indigenous heritage and culture and
benefit local residents and the community.
 m m  
` Relative to other local destinations, the town of
Falmouth is practically ignored by tourists, yet its rich
and vibrant history ranks it as one of Jamaica¶s primary
heritage sites.
` The town is not even on the list of recommended
attractions for guests at the Trelawny Beach hotel
(Survey 1995).
` At present Falmouth is one of the µleast developed¶
parish capitals in Jamaica. Yet, in the past, early 19th
century, Falmouth was one of the most developed town
in Jamaica, second only to Kingston in certain aspects
and first in others (TCF 1979).
` Falmouth had the facilities of a µmodern¶ town (Ogilvie
1954); a number of its grandiose buildings that still
exist are evidence of this great past (Plate 2.1).
` The prosperity of the town was linked to the large
number of sugar plantations in Trelawny and its busy
port that was a terminus for ocean trade (Ogilvie 1954).
` Tourism and hotel keeping were also important
businesses for the town (GSOJ 1970).
` However, new methods of transportation and the
demise of the sugar cane industry caused Falmouth to
deteriorate.
Plate 2.1
Historic Vistrict, Falmouth, 1986
Source: Tyndale-
Tyndale-Biscoe
` The parish of which Falmouth is the capital was
created in 1770 when the House of Assembly in
Jamaica passed a bill to partition off the parish of Saint
James.
` The new parish was named after the then Governor of
Jamaica, William Trelawny.
` There were several reasons for the division, of which
ease and convenience for its inhabitants was foremost.
` The Trelawny coast line was already well settled by
1770 and its seaport rivaled that at Montego Bay, the
capital of St. James.
` Area residents, however, had to undertake the
µdifficult¶ journey to Montego Bay to conduct
all public businesses.
` There was also a problem of exercising control
over the Trelawny coast line from Montego
Bay.
` At the time of division, the parish of Saint
James covered 233 square miles (604 square
km), while Trelawny covered 333 square miles
(863 square km) (Ogilvie 1954).
` The capital of Trelawny was founded at Martha Brae, a
town approximately one and half miles up stream from
the mouth of the Martha Brae River (Appendix B).
` This town had about thirty houses at the time it was
made the capital of the new parish (TCF 1979).
` The need for a seaport was critical, as the importance of
Trelawny was based on its trading links by sea with
foreign countries.
` The suitability of Martha Brae as the permanent capital
was therefore challenged as navigation up the river was
limited to small ships (TCF 1979).
` Another town Rock, had established wharves but was
ruled out for the new capital because of the shallowness
of the water (Appendix C).
` Eventually the Vestry (Local Government) looked
towards setting up a capital at Palmetto Point (Martha
Brae Point) (Appendix C).
` The town of Martha Brae was named after a young,
beautiful Arawak (Taino) witch who was forced by
invading Spaniards to take them to the cave where the
Arawaks (Tainos) stored their gold and other precious
stones (the Arawaks (Tainos) were the indigenous
inhabitants of Jamaica when Columbus arrived).
` According to legend, Martha Brae waved her
magic wand and uttered a curse,
³The rains came and the winds blew, and the river
now named after Martha, changed its course,
flooding the cave and drowning the
Spaniards...Martha Brae is still living there
guarding the gold from the greedy and the
gullible, but waiting...for the right person to
come along to whom she will give the
treasure´(Nieta 1995:10A).
` A country with such rich and colorful
legends should be weighing the gold earned
from the development of food and souvenir
industries using the Arawak (Taino) way-
way-
of-
of-life as a theme (Nieta 1995).
` Edward Barrett who owned Martha Brae Point was
willing to sell it to create a township. ³The land was
surveyed and planned with all the amenities for an up-up-
to
to--date township ± for this reason it is considered the
best laid-
laid-out town in (Jamaica)´ (Ogilvie 1954:32).
` After subdividing, all the land was readily sold to
merchants and planters.
` Nearly every estate owner purchased a residential site
for a townhouse.
` The name Falmouth was given to the township after the
birth place of Governor Trelawny.
` A large number of sugar plantations developed
and Falmouth had the port facilities to attract
vessels with important cargoes.
` ³It was no unusual sight to see twenty-
twenty-seven
ships in port, landing cargo and taking in sugar,
rum and other island produce...there were 88
sugar estates operating in the parish´ (Ogilvie
1954:34).
` The stones and bricks used as ballast on ships
coming in port found their way into impressive
architecture throughout the parish.
` Within three years after the founding of Falmouth, more
than 150 houses were built, mainly of stones, bricks and
timber (TCF 1979).
` These were, for the most part, townhouses for the rich
merchant class and planter class (Plate 2.2; 2.3), who
shipped and traded through the busy and prosperous
port.
` The planters built imposing works for sugar production
as well as homes called µgreat houses¶ on plantations.
` These µgreat houses¶ were country retreats for planters
vacationing away from the harsh winters in England.
They also acted as places where extravagant parties
would be given for dignitaries (Ogilvie 1954).
Plate 2.2
Historic Streetscape, Falmouth, c. 1840
Source: The Georgian Society of Jamaica, 1970
Plate 2.3
Historic Streetscape, Falmouth, c. 1840
Source: The Georgian Society of Jamaica, 1970
` Another important group that built lavish townhouses in
Falmouth was the merchant class, who were mostly
Jewish (GSOJ 1970).
` Great enthusiasm and competition developed between
the merchant class and the planter class to see who
could build the finest house.
` This competition reached its peak during the Georgian
period, which saw the introduction of patterns of
original work from England (GSOJ 1970).
` This is why Falmouth accounted for such a large and
fine specimen of Georgian architecture in its µhey-
µhey-day¶.
` Although Falmouth had a thriving port second only to
Kingston, all entry and clearances were made in
Montego Bay.
` In 1793 the House of Assembly was petitioned to
appoint Falmouth as a port for entry and clearance of
goods.
` This would alleviate the inconvenience of traveling to
Montego Bay, and result in increased revenue and trade.
` The harbor was considered as one of the most secure in
the island, sustaining no loss of any vessel, while
loading approximately fifty ships annually.
` Opposition from Montego Bay at first
caused the defeat of the petition, but after
persisting for 12 years finally Falmouth
became a port of entry and clearance.
` A further resolution in 1809 granted it the
status of a Free Port.
` Two events of international significance
aided in the rapid development of
Falmouth¶s trading activities.
` First, at the turn of the 19th century Spain was in
no position to prevent Jamaica from trading with
its American colonies as it did, due to the
invasion of Spain by Napoleon; knowing this,
Britain penetrated the Spanish empire through
trade from Falmouth.
` Secondly, the blockading of the breakaway
colonies in North America by Britain in the war
of 1812 caused the price of sugar to increase;
Falmouth, Jamaica¶s premier sugar port,
benefited from windfall profits.
` Falmouth was also the headquarters of the
Baptist church led by William Knibb µthe
emancipator.¶ As such, it was in the forefront of
the emancipation movement.
` The coming of emancipation on August 1, 1838
gave the ex-
ex-slaves a measure of social and
economic power; as the owners of land given to
them by the Baptist church.
` This new economic power caused a change
in the dynamic of local retail trade (GSOJ
1970). For example, the local merchants
seized the initiative and ordered special
crockery ware from England with a local
slant in decoration to satisfy the taste of the
ex
ex--slaves who now had the freedom of
choice in purchasing.
` ³Falmouth was then the emporium of the north-
north-
side´ (Ogilvie 1954:34); it had genuine µurban
life.¶
` Its social organization and entertainment
facilities were superior to Kingston in certain
aspects.
` By 1860, hotel keeping had developed as an
important occupation in Falmouth with the
owners aggressively seeking clients (GSOJ
1970).
` The 20 or more sailors that came on each ship
often remained in port for a month or more.
` They were some of the first tourists to visit;
³The sailors ashore were never without avenues
to rid themselves of their hard cash
earned...every class in society benefited by their
lavish expenditure´ (Ogilvie 1954:37).
` The town, however, had to bear the social
consequences such as drunken sailors and lurid
behavior.
` The magnificence of its public buildings depicts
a community with civic pride and an abundance
of skilled artisans (Plate 2.4). They spared no
expense.
` The Parish church that was built from 1794-
1794-1796
cost approximately £9,000 and was one of the
largest in the island.
` The church is strategically located in the center
of the town on land donated by Edward Barrett.
` Falmouth had the best equipped marine hospital
in the island.
Plate 2.4
Falmouth Historic Courthouse
Source: The Georgian Society of Jamaica, 1970
` The first Masonic temple in Jamaica was built in
Falmouth (the building still stands today Plate
2.5). Falmouth also had its own regiment, the
Trelawny Regiment, stationed at Fort Balcares.
` The milieu that existed in Falmouth, plus its
contact with the outside world, attracted people
of very high intellectual caliber. Included among
them were many loyalists who fled from the
American independence.
Plate 2.5
First Masonic Temple in Jamaica,
Built in 1798.
` The Quakers found Falmouth in 1837, ³a town of
increasing size and importance...one of the most
beautiful in the island´ (TCF 1979:17).
` They found William Knibb finishing his new chapel
(Plate 2.6), and a hundred children in a Baptist school.
` Though the abolition of the slave trade caused a general
decline in the planter class and the sugar industry in
Jamaica, Trelawny¶s sugar plantations were still
flourishing because of its direct external trade links.
Plate 2.6
William Knibb Baptist Church
Source: The Georgian Society of Jamaica, 1970
` By the 1850s, Trelawny was the chief sugar producing
parish and Falmouth perhaps the second largest town in
the country.
` Its port access and trading ties helped in boosting the
overall development of Western Trelawny, through the
availability and lower prices of supplies for the estates
(Ogilvie 1954).
` In 1860, the American, Sewell, found Falmouth with
7,000 to 8,000 inhabitants, looking ³more modern than
Kingston´ (TCF 1979:17) and clearly less dirty.
` Vuring the sugar crop-
crop-season the harbor was usually
swarming with vessels (Plate 2.7, note the fleet of ships
in the left background).
Plate 2.7
Falmouth Historic overlooking the harbor, c. 1840
Source: The Georgian Society of Jamaica, 1970
` This decline of Falmouth was due to several factors.
` Visasters in the form of hurricanes and fires destroyed
many of its better buildings.
` The Falmouth harbor could not accommodate the
larger ships coming into use, even after improvement
to the harbor.
` The final blow, however, came with the extension of
the railway to Montego Bay, which gave the town a
critical edge as a distribution center.
` The gradual destruction and remodeling of many
privately owned buildings have changed the character
of Falmouth dramatically.
` Vestiges of the glorious past, however, still remain.
 m  
` The rich and vibrant heritage and culture in
Falmouth are practically ignored by present day
tourists. Yet tourism related businesses were
regarded as important sources of income for the
town, when Falmouth was the ³Emporium of the
[North Coast]´ (Ogilvie 1954:34).
` Falmouth was one of the most prosperous and
developed town in Jamaica.
` Its prosperity was linked to the large number of
African slaves who worked on the 88 sugar
plantations and the busy seaport.
 m  
` The slaves were the engine of growth for the town¶s
economy.
` The transfer of ideas from England led to the adaptation
of Georgian architecture throughout Falmouth.
` The magnificence of these building depicts a
community with civic pride and an abundance of skilled
artisans.
` However, Falmouth declined socially and economically
as a result of fires, hurricanes and new methods of
transportation.
` The heritage and cultural features in Falmouth are still,
however, in abundance, intriguing, unique, rich, diverse
and significant.
 m  
` Since tourists have limited time, mobility and
knowledge, they are able to µabsorb¶ only a small
portion of historic artifacts.
` Hence, Ashworth (1990) advocates a process of
rigorous selection to arrive at spatial concentration for
the success of tourist¶s historic city.
` An analysis of potential features in Falmouth shows
clustering that may be joined by short historic corridors
(Appendix E).
` A vast number of the potential attraction falls within the
250 meter radius of Market Street and Vuke Street
intersection (Appendix G, H, I, J).
Appendix E
Appendix G
Appendix I
Appendix J
 m  
` Thus, Falmouth has the required cultural
features that are vital themes around which to
create a tourist¶s historic city to revitalize the
town.
` This argument is supported by assertion that ³as
tourism becomes an increasingly important part
of the urban economy, cities with historical
interest must develop and promote their
attractions´ (Wojno 1991:301) for profit
resulting from tourist¶s historic districts is
considerable.
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` Cities such as Savannah, Georgia; New Orleans,
Louisiana; and Lowell, Massachusetts have
capitalized on the economic potential of tourism.
In Savannah, visitor expenditure contributes
significantly to the city¶s economy, US$75
million in 1978 (Wojno 1991).
` Tourism volume in the Vieux Carré district of
New Orleans sparked the construction of hotels,
motels and mixed-
mixed-use developments.
 m  
` Lowell also attracts large numbers of visitors
annually.
` Action programs undertaken in Lowell include
the restoration of storefronts, buildings and
sidewalks, new landscaping and an extensive
tree--planting program. Museums, artists¶
tree
galleries, fountains, canals and a replica trolley
car also add to the historical ambiance of
Lowell.