Located directly east of the

Korle Lagoon The Korle Lagoon is a body of water in Accra, the capital of Ghana. Lying immediately to the west of the city centre, it has played an important role in the city's history. In the 1990s, it became known for its high levels of pollution. History ...

, Jamestown and Usshertown are the oldest districts of

Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in Ghana–Ivory Coast border, the west, Burkina ...

and emerged as communities around the 17th century

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

James Fort and

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People ...

Ussher Fort Ussher Fort is a fort in Accra, Ghana. It was built by the Dutch in 1649 as Fort Crèvecœur, and is a day's march from Elmina and to the east of Accra on a rocky point between two lagoons. It was one of three forts that Europeans built in the regi ...

on the

Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian (zero degrees latitude and longitude) is in th ...

coast. These districts were developed at the end of the 19th century, and following the rapid growth of the city during the 20th century, they became areas of a dense mixture of commercial and residential use.

History

Today, both Jamestown and Usshertown remain fishing communities inhabited primarily by the Ga. Although in a state of decay, the districts are significant in the history of Accra, which replaced

Cape Coast Cape Coast is a city, fishing port, and the capital of Cape Coast Metropolitan District and Central Region of Ghana. It is one of the country's most historic cities, a World Heritage Site, home to the Cape Coast Castle, with the Gulf of Guinea ...

as the capital of

Gold Coast (British colony) The Gold Coast was a British Crown colony on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa from 1821 until its independence in 1957 as Ghana. The term Gold Coast is also often used to describe all of the four separate jurisdictions that were under the a ...

in 1876. The original lighthouse, built at James Fort in 1871, was replaced in the 1930s by the current tower, which is tall. The

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mark ...

, which is above sea level, has a visibility of , it overlooks the harbour, James Fort, the Bukom district and Ussher Fort. Since World War II, a succession of plans to enhance the capital city have come with changes in government, some seeing improvements in Jamestown as a necessary part of the overall plan, and some treating such improvements as competing with the efforts to develop the central business district of Accra farther north. Currently, plans are afoot to re-develop the districts of Jamestown and Usshertown, referred to as "

Ga-Mashie Ga-Mashie is the home of the original Ga settlers and the original name of Accra, Ghana's capital. They celebrate the Homowo Homowo is a harvest festival celebrated by the Ga people of Ghana in the Greater Accra Region. The festival starts i ...

" with the inauguration of the 2015 Old Accra Strategy. The popular Azonto dance originated from Jamestown. The local language "Ga" is often spoken by the natives. Areas of Jamestown and Usshertown include

Bukom Bukom Square is a place, associated with the "Ga" people, located in Ghana, in the heart of Accra, the capital. Bukom is known for its output of successful boxers to America. A large proportion of these boxers settle in the Bronx, New York Cit ...

, known for its boxing gyms, Adedainkpo, former home of the wealthiest African residents of Accra, Swalaba, Korle Woko (formerly also known as Ripponville), and Akoto Lante. Jamestown tower chalewote festival

Jamestown hosts the annual

Chale Wote Street Art Festival The Chale Wote Street Art Festival also known as Chale Wote is an alternative platform that brings art, music, dance and performance out into the streets. The festival targets exchanges between scores of local and international artists and patr ...

Chieftaincy

The current traditional chief is Oblempong Nii Wetse Kojo II. He was inducted after the passing of the previous chief

Oblempong Nii Kojo Ababio V Oblempong Nii Kojo Ababio V (Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey Cofie; 12 June 1920 - 22 December 2017) was a Ghanaian dental surgeon pioneer who also served as the Jamestown Maŋtsɛ (Paramount Chief) and President of the Ngleshie Alata Traditional Cou ...

who had been chief for thirty-nine years. His death was officially announced in February 2018 and the new chief Oblempong Nii Wetse Kojo II was inducted on 1 February 2018.

Landmarks/Places of Interest

* James Fort *

Jamestown Lighthouse The Jamestown lighthouse is located in the Jamestown neighbourhood of Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is par ...

* Accra Central Station *Accra Central Post Office *Rawlings Park *Makola Market #2 *High Street
Construction of the Jamestown Fishing Harbor, Ghana

References

Accra {{GreaterAccra-geo-stub