Charles Fort (Barbados)
History
In 1650, a fort was constructed at Needham's Point (called Needham's Fort) to protect Carlisle Bay and Bridgetown from enemy attacks. The English Civil War had just ended, and Barbados feared attacks by the British. Oliver Cromwell had just overthrown the British monarchy, but Barbados remained loyal to the royalists and acknowledged the exiled Charles II as King.
In 1651, Needham's Fort helped the local militia in prevent the successful landing of Cromwell’s troops, commanded by George Ayscue. This event resulted in the Charter of Barbados (or Treaty of Oistins) in 1652, which ended the fighting between Barbados and the English Commonwealth. In 1660, when Charles II was reinstated to the British throne, the fort was renamed Charles Fort.
In 1665, Charles Fort successfully defended Barbados from surprise attack by the Dutch, commanded by Michiel De Ruyter. The attack was the closest a foreign power ever came to invading Barbados.
In the 1740s, the fort was further fortified. It was rebuilt in stone and two additional batteries were added on each side.
George Washington visited Fort Charles during his visit to Barbados in 1751-1752. He dined with the Captain at the fort multiple times during his six weeks in Barbados. Charles Fort and Saint Ann's Fort were the first military forts that Washington had ever seen.
The fort was property of the Colony of Barbados until 1836, when it was acquired by the Crown. It was decommissioned in 1905.
In 1966, the remains of the fort were stabilized during the construction of the original Hilton Hotel in Barbados. In 2004, with construction of the Hilton Barbados Resort, additional preservation and restoration measures were undertaken.
References
- ^ "The Caribbean: Carlisle Bay". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
- ^ "Explore Barbados UNESCO World Heritage Site - Visit Barbados". www.visitbarbados.org. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
- ^ "Things to Do | Hilton Barbados Resort". www.hilton.com. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
- ^ "British History in depth: The Civil War in Barbados". BBC History. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
- ^ Barbados Ministry of Community Development and Culture (2010). "Historic Bridgetown and Its Garrison: Nomination as a World Heritage Site" (PDF). UNESCO World Heritage Convention. UNESCO. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 23, 2020.
- ^ "The Washington brothers abroad | Miller Center". millercenter.org. 2018-04-03. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
- ^ Washington, George (1892). The Daily Journal of Major George Washington, in 1751-2: Kept While on a Tour from Virginia to the Island of Barbadoes... (PDF). J. Munsell's Sons.
- ^ "George Washington's Journey to Barbados". George Washington's Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
- ^ "353-Room, $90-Million Hilton Barbados to Debut in 2004". Hotel News Source. Jan 20, 2004. Archived from the original on Mar 23, 2004.