Charlestown is the capital of the island of Nevis

Nevis

Nevis is an island in the Caribbean Sea, located near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, about 350 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico and 80 km west of Antigua. The 93 km² island is part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies...

, in the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis

The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population....

, Leeward Islands

Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...

, West Indies. Charlestown is situated on the leeward side of the island of Nevis

Nevis

Nevis is an island in the Caribbean Sea, located near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, about 350 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico and 80 km west of Antigua. The 93 km² island is part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies...

, near the southern end of Pinneys Beach.

Historically, in colonial times, the town of Charlestown was protected by Fort Charles

Fort Charles (Nevis)

Fort Charles is an abandoned British fort on the island of Nevis. It is now mostly in ruins.-History:Construction of Fort Charles was begun in 1671, with the aim of protecting Charleston and its harbour. Mounting 26 cannon, Fort Charles was the main fort on the island, although there were numerous...

 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 lead to the common practice of building a wooden upper floor above a stone ground floor.
Charlestown was the birthplace and childhood home of Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...

. 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 is now 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.

Memorial Square commemorates all the Nevisian soldiers who died during World Wars I and II. Nearby is the Cotton Ginnery Mall which supplies much of Nevis' residents' 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.