Fort George, George Town
Encyclopedia
Fort George is a colonial era fortification located on Grand Cayman
, Cayman Islands
. Located in George Town
, Grand Cayman
, the structure stands on the corner of Harbour Drive and Fort Street. Although in present day there is very little remaining of the original structure, its remains have been donated to the National Trust for the Cayman Islands
in perpetuity. Fort George was one of the first fortifications built on the Cayman Islands
during the early colonial period.
ironshore with its design being based largely on the English fortifications of the time. The oval base of the Fort measured approximately 57 feet by 38 feet. There were eight embrasures for cannons around the sides of the fort and a mahogany gate on the fort's landward side. The walls of Fort George ranged in thickness from two feet on its landward side to five feet on its seaward side, with the walls being about five feet in height.
In 1802, when Edward Corbet came to Grand Cayman to compile a report for the Governor of Jamaica, he found the Fort "by no means well equipped" with only "three guns, four to six pounders", rather than the eight required by the original scheme.
In 1972, the Cayman Islands Planning Authority and a local developer were embroiled in a disagreement over the fort’s future. The developer started the demolition of the structure, however, because of the objections raised by the local public, destruction of the site was halted. What remained of the structure was donated to the National Trust for the Cayman Islands in 1987.
Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the nation's capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles southwest of Cayman Brac.-Geography:Grand Cayman encompasses 76% of...
, Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
. Located in George Town
George Town, Cayman Islands
George Town, Grand Cayman, is the capital of the Cayman Islands, in the British West Indies. The city has a population of 35,600 and is the largest city on Grand Cayman....
, Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the nation's capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles southwest of Cayman Brac.-Geography:Grand Cayman encompasses 76% of...
, the structure stands on the corner of Harbour Drive and Fort Street. Although in present day there is very little remaining of the original structure, its remains have been donated to the National Trust for the Cayman Islands
National Trust for the Cayman Islands
The National Trust for the Cayman Islands is the National Trust serving the Cayman Islands. Its purposes are to preserve sites of artistic and architectural interest in the islands and to provide protection for local natural resources and wildlife...
in perpetuity. Fort George was one of the first fortifications built on the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
during the early colonial period.
Construction and dimensions
In 1662, the then Governor of Jamaica, Lord Windsor, received royal instructions to protect the "Caimanes Islands ... by planting and raising Fortifications upon them"; the fortification, however, was not constructed until 1790. Fort George was built using local coral rock and limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
ironshore with its design being based largely on the English fortifications of the time. The oval base of the Fort measured approximately 57 feet by 38 feet. There were eight embrasures for cannons around the sides of the fort and a mahogany gate on the fort's landward side. The walls of Fort George ranged in thickness from two feet on its landward side to five feet on its seaward side, with the walls being about five feet in height.
In 1802, when Edward Corbet came to Grand Cayman to compile a report for the Governor of Jamaica, he found the Fort "by no means well equipped" with only "three guns, four to six pounders", rather than the eight required by the original scheme.
Fort George in the 20th Century
By the beginning of the 20th century, the fort was no longer in use. During World War II, a tall silk cotton tree growing within the fort was used as a lookout post. Members of the Home Guard, whose barracks were located next to the fort at Dobson Hall, would climb up into the tree’s branches to watch for German submarines, many of which patrolled Caribbean waters hunting for merchant ships setting out to cross the Atlantic with supplies bound for English ports.In 1972, the Cayman Islands Planning Authority and a local developer were embroiled in a disagreement over the fort’s future. The developer started the demolition of the structure, however, because of the objections raised by the local public, destruction of the site was halted. What remained of the structure was donated to the National Trust for the Cayman Islands in 1987.