The Museum of Nevis History - Alexander Hamilton birthplace

Charlestown is the capital of the island of

Nevis Nevis ( ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. Nevis and the neighbouring island of Saint Kitts constitute the Saint Kitts and Nevis, Federation of Saint Kitts ...

in the Federation of

Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis, officially the Federation of Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis, is an island country consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of the Less ...

in the

Leeward Islands The Leeward Islands () are a group of islands situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. Starting with the Virgin Islands east of Puerto Rico, they extend southeast to Guadeloupe and its dependencies. In Engl ...

of the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

. Charlestown is situated on the leeward side of the island of

near the southern end of Pinney's Beach. Charlestown was originally called Bath Bay in reference to Bath Stream, a stream noted for its curative waters. It became the chief town after Jamestown, Nevis's first settlement, was inundated by a tidal wave in 1680. In the late 18th century, Charlestown was both a naval base and a resort known for mineral waters. The town was almost destroyed by fire in 1873. The main industry in Charlestown is sugar milling. Notable buildings in Charlestown include Hamilton House, where

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...

, a

Founding Father of the United States The Founding Fathers of the United States, often simply referred to as the Founding Fathers or the Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American Revolution, American revolutionary leaders who United Colonies, united the Thirteen Colon ...

and framer of the

U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally including seven articles, the Constituti ...

, was born, and the nearby ruins of Montpelier Estate, where the British naval hero

Horatio Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...

was married. Historically, in colonial times, the town of Charlestown was protected by Fort Charles to the south and Fort Black Rocks to the north. Many of the oldest two-story stone buildings were severely damaged over time by earthquakes, which tended to cause the upper story to collapse into the lower story. This unfortunate design flaw led to the common practice of building a wooden upper floor above a stone ground floor. Charlestown was the birthplace"Everybody's Person of the 20th century: St. Kitts & Nevis", Robert Bradshaw, Everybody's Vol: 23 Issue: 11 December 1999 pp. 32– and childhood home of

. The restored stone building which was his place of birth now houses the Museum of Nevis History on the ground floor, and the Nevis Island Administration Assembly Room on the upper floor. There are two other museums in Charlestown: the ''Nelson Museum'', and the ''Nevis Sport Museum'', as well as the Philatelic Bureau. There are many other important buildings in the town, some historical and some recent, such as the Post Office, the old Treasury Building which is now the Nevis Tourism Authority, the Court House and Public Library, the new Police Station and the Alexandra Hospital. At the northern end of town is the Bath Hotel and Spring House, which was a famous tourist hotel and spa during the 18th century. The main building of the Bath Hotel was for a while occupied by government offices. Charlestown has a population of 1,500. It is the main administrative and commercial center for the island of Nevis and is also the most concentrated residential area on the island. It is the hub for much of the transportation in Nevis. There is a modern port area with a dock where the ferries from St. Kitts load and unload passengers. However, Charlestown lacks a commercial airport. Memorial Square commemorates all the Nevisian soldiers who died during World Wars I and II. Nearby is the ''Cotton Ginnery Mall'' which supplies some of Nevis' residents' recreational shopping needs. The education system on Nevis is similar to the British system. There are five pre-schools and seven primary schools (grades K–6). Primary schools are government-provided. In addition, there are three private primary schools. After primary school, children attend one of three secondary schools. Please also see the article:

List of schools in Saint Kitts and Nevis Preschools St. Kitts * Diligent Hands Child Care Cente* Kebabies Child Development Centre Little Learners Academy Montessori Academy Industrial Site Day Care And Preschool Victoria Road Preschool Cradles Preschool Tabernacle Daycare Centr ...

References

{{Authority control Nevis Populated places in Saint Kitts and Nevis

See also

References