Category: historical
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Table a Diable – Devil’s Table
Located just off the bay front in Roseau, the Commonwealth of Dominica, stands an intriguing outcrop of volcanic rock, known as Table a Diable, or the Devil’s Table. The name of this rocky outcrop is a source of confusion for many, as some locals refer to it as Kaka Diable. However, on old maps, it…
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Roseau Bayfront
Roseau Bayfront, also known as the Dame Eugenia Boulevard, is a popular waterfront promenade in the capital city of Dominica, Roseau. The history of this area dates back to the 18th century when Dominica was a French colony. Previous Next During this time, the area was used for trading goods, and the waterfront was a…
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Davernport
William Davenport, a major 18th century, British, slave trader and merchant from Liverpool, landed his first cargo of slaves at Dominica in 1769. Davenport is said to have financed over 160 slaving voyages, in over 70 ships including the Fox, that arrived in Dominica from Old Calabar. The enslaved cargo averaged £30 per person; a…
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The French Quarter
French Quarter is the oldest part of the city of Roseau. The first Frenchmen settled there already when Roseau was still called Sairi and was the main Kalinago village on the west coast of Dominica. The main square of the French Quarter is Dawbiney Square, currently known as the Old Market. On the map, it…
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Morne Bruce Cross
The Morne Bruce Cross stands on the Morne, reached from the Botanical Gardens up a route called Jack’s Walk, named after the Union Jack (which flew here) because soldiers took it as a shortcut back from Roseau to the Garrison. It overlooks Roseau from above the Botanical Gardens, giving a bird’s eye view of the…
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Morne Bruce Garrison
Dominica was ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Paris in 1763. To keep the island under her rule, Britain had to defend it from the French. Some small forts were started in 1765. Military engineers were commissioned to produce plans for the defence of the colony. Captain James Bruce, Royal Engineer, was head of…
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Old Prison
1750Built during the French occupation 1761It continued to be used as a prison by the British after capturing the island. It was the only prison in Dominica until1784, when a new one was constructed at the top of King Geroge V Street, to replace it 1784It served as a private residence since the relocation of…
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High Court of Justice
You may notice a crowd gathered outside this is the Courthouse and Registry. Erected in the 1920s early 1930s this is one of the 1st cast concrete buildings using concrete moulds in Dominica. The Hight Court and Registry services moved to the current Post Office building effective April 2022
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Long Lane
A street that slaves used to walk from their prison, at the Barracoon Building to the Old Market to be sold. Note the Cobblestone sidewalks.
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Bells Jetty
Image copyright @ Delcampe Bell’s Jetty has a long history and has been an important landmark in Roseau for many years. The jetty is named after the Bell family who were prominent merchants in Roseau during the 19th century. During the colonial era, Roseau was an important trading port for the British, and Bell’s Jetty…
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Tourist Information Office
The original marketplace now houses the Tourist Information Office on the ground floor and the National museum above. The building was constructed in 1810 to replace the original wooden structure that dates back from 1770, over the years this building was used as the customs office, police station and more, recently the Post Office
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CobbleStone Road -Fort Lane
Cobblestone roads are uncommon these days. At one time, however, road builders used cobblestones in many cities and towns. Building contractors also used them to create buildings. True cobblestones, the building material made of small, natural stones with edges smoothed by water, have been around for centuries. In England, the term cobblestone first appeared in…
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Victoria Memorial Museum
The first library built in Dominica was the Victoria Memorial Library. It was built on the approval given by the Executive Council for the sale of a lot on Church Street and for the purchase of books and furnishings for a new building that would also commemorate the memory of the late Queen Victoria. In…
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Newtown Community Centre
The Newtown Community Centre is one of Dominica’s military heritage sites. The Newtown Community Centre (old Roseau Boys School) was built in 1784. The city of Roseau sits on an alluvial fan formed hundreds of years ago as the Roseau River meandered across the area from what is now known as Newtown to its current…
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THE CENOTAPH
Dominica’s Cenotaph or War Memorial is located in Roseau on a triangle of land bordered by Castle Street, Victoria Street and the end of Fort Lane. It is dedicated to the memory of those Dominicans and British residents on the island who volunteered to enlist in the British armed forces and who fell in the…
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Fort Young Hotel
Fort Young Hotel, located in the island’s capital of Roseau, stands upon so much of the island’s history. Dating back to 1699, the location has evolved from a military fort to a central police station, and — as of 1964 — serves as a haven for visitors as Fort Young Hotel. The hotel embodies the…
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St George’s Anglican Church
The Anglican Church came to Dominica as part of the British colonial administration in 1763 and in 1768 the original site of the church was the Newton Savannah. The wooden building however fell into ruin by 1790 and at the time the small Anglican community should little interest in repairing the old church or constructing…
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Peebles Park
Peebles Park is named after Major W.H.Peebles who served as Chief of Police and occasionally, Acting Administrator of Dominica, during the 1920s. He was a very active officer who initiated a number of beautification schemes for the island. He was one of the first to appreciate the importance of the Cabrits as a historic site…
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Dawbiney Building
The old market plaza is also known as the Dawbiney market square which dates back to the 18th century, a cobbled Courtyard with shop’s restaurants and a craft centre the plaza is the historic heart of town at the bayfront where boats docked for offloading and all trade occurred in the mid 1700s. The building…
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Dawbiney Market Square Fountaine
Fountain at Dawbiney Market Square: This cobblestone square is known as Dawbiney Market Square. It is here that we find an old Victorian drinking fountain that was erected in 1872 as a celebration of the introduction of piped water from La Riviere Douce in the Roseau Valley. It stands on the site of an old…