A number of wealthy merchants who came to Jamaica built houses in the Georgian style of architecture. It later became an integral part of the landscape and architectural style of Jamaica. The most well preserved and famous of these houses is the Headquarters house or the Hibbert house. This house was built for a wager by Thomas Hibbert. The other houses which were part of this wager and have long since been destroyed.
The house is symmetrical and constructed of brick, stone and timber. The bonded red brick with contrasting limestone quoins make up the exterior of the building. The front of the building was later altered to include beautiful Jamaican fretwork which allows for privacy and yet does not prevent the sea breeze from entering the home. The house has two stories with a large basement for storage. There is also an attic with dormer windows. The first floor was used for offices and to entertain the guests. The upper floor was residential. There is a courtyard at the back of the building and a number of outhouses for the servants.
The interior of the house is renown for the beautiful brickwork and exquisite staircase.
The Jamaican planters obsession with the Jamaican style of architecture promoted the number of houses constructed in that style. Demure looking wooden houses were constructed in the Georgian style in the Market Street which is the main thoroughfare in the Barret Lands. The columns of these houses were made simple but prominent. The undulating topography of Barret Lands also facilitated the construction of these houses. The Gridiron pattern of town layout is also the influence of the Georgian architectural style.
Another English style which impacted the Jamaicans was the Queen Anne Victorian style of construction. These houses can be found form Jamaica Avenue to Forest Park. These houses have large balconies on the upper floors. They are Round, square or three sided in shape. Spacious open porches with a variety of ornamentation and ginger bread decorations are typical in this style. The entry halls are large with stained glass windows. Most houses have front and back parlours separated by oak pocket doors. A smaller staircase leads from the kitchen to the attic and the house could have more than 15 rooms.
After the world war II Jamaican buildings seem to have been inspired by the British forts. The houses and commercial buildings have thick walls and small narrow windows of the 18th and 19th century Britain.
The abolishing of slavery saw the growth of the rural bungalow. The original one room wooden structure with thatched roofs was transformed into elaborate buildings. The architecture attempted to replicate the bigger houses of the rich on a smaller scale. The upper floors and rooms were later additions to what was conceived of as a single floor unit. These upper floors were raised on cut stone piers and decorated with sash and Jalousie windows. The hipped gabbled roofs and wrap around verandas of with popular octagonal corner room was added to the design. The whole building is finished with fretwork. The rural bungalow is regarded as an expression of freedom and individuality.
Over the years these rural buildings have began to disappear behind a façade of concrete, metal louvers and grillwork. |
