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. Histor ...

, Jamestown and Usshertown are the oldest districts of

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) 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, , had a population of ...

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

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. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

James Fort James Fort () is an early 17th-century pentagonal bastion fort located on Castlepark peninsula in Kinsale harbour, County Cork, Ireland. Situated downstream from Kinsale on the River Bandon, the fort was built to defend the harbour and seaborn ...

and

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

Ussher Fort Ussher Fort is a fort in Accra, Ghana. It was built by the Dutch in 1649 as Fort Crèvecœur, and is two days' 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 ...

on the

Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea (French language, French: ''Golfe de Guinée''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Golfo de Guinea''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Golfo da Guiné'') is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez i ...

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 and the capital of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, Cape Coast Metropolitan District and the Central Region (Ghana), Central Region of Ghana, Ghana. It is located about from Sekondi-Takoradi and approximately from Ac ...

as the capital of

Gold Coast (British colony) The Gold Coast was a British Empire, 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 w ...

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 lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

, 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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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 Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and ...

" 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 is a village and suburb of Accra, the capital of Ghana. Bukom has produced a number of successful Boxing, boxers. These include Azumah Nelson, Bukom Banku, Ike Quartey and Kwame Asante, as well as welterweight Joshua Clottey, who won the ...

, 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 annual street festival in Accra, Ghana organized by ACCRA otALT, in collaboration with Redd Kat Pictures and Chale Wote Street Art Projekt. The festival targets exchanges betw ...

Chieftaincy

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 Coun ...

who had been chief for thirty-nine years. His death was officially announced in February 2018

Landmarks/Places of Interest

Jamestown Lighthouse The Jamestown lighthouse is located in the Jamestown neighbourhood of Accra, Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shar ...

Accra Central Station Accra Central Station is the main railway station in Accra, the capital of Ghana. The station was completed in 1910, to serve the new Accra to Mangoase line, with railway offices built nearby. Prior to its construction, the area was a marshy v ...

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

References

Accra {{GreaterAccra-geo-stub