Anyone considering Savanna-La-Mar as a destination for a stay will encounter a town with a distinctive settlement, harbor, and architectural history. Savanna-La-Mar was a Spanish settlement and was declared the capital of the Parish of Westmoreland in 1730. Two historical aspects therefore stand side by side: the early settlement and its later designation as the capital.
On Jamaica’s south coast, Savanna-La-Mar was developed as a harbor for shipping sugar and other products because of its location. This development took place during periods of high production. The harbor function and capital status show different sides of the town’s history: one is connected with shipping goods, the other with Savanna-La-Mar’s position within the parish.
The landscape is also part of this historical picture. Swamps flanked Savanna-La-Mar on both sides. Alongside its location on the south coast, this describes another aspect of the town: the harbor’s development reflects the use of its coastal location, while the swamps reflect the settlement’s surroundings at the time.
Architectural Forms and the History of the Baptist Church
The Savanna-La-Mar Baptist Church offers a concrete example of architectural forms. Its floor plan is rectangular; the facade is symmetrical and features four pointed-arch windows arranged in a cross. Each side of the building has five large pointed-arch windows. Two projecting porches shelter the entrances. The front and sides have different focal points: the cross arrangement stands out at the front, while the pointed-arch form is repeated along the sides. This makes it possible to consider the facade’s layout, the window shape, and the porches’ protective function separately.
The Baptist Church is also associated with the early 19th-century anti-slavery movement in the West Indies and England. This historical connection adds a social and historical context to the architectural perspective. The date and the regions mentioned define the scope of this connection.
Court House, Fountain, and Fort
The Savanna-La-Mar Court House was built in 1925 and is located on Great George Street in Norman Square. Its year of construction and these two location details anchor the building in the town’s history.
The design of the cast-iron Cast Iron Fountain is its main feature: fluted columns in the Corinthian style define the fountain. Each of the eight columns supports an arch; above each arch is a plaque featuring a pelican motif. Fluting, arches, and repeated plaques form different elements of the design. In contrast to the Baptist Church, whose distinctive design feature is the arrangement of its windows, the fountain is defined by its columns and the sequence of arches.
The Savanna-La-Mar Fort differs from these buildings in its location: it is partly on land and mostly in the sea. It was built to protect the town, but was never completed. Its location, purpose, and unfinished construction together convey the fort’s historical character.
Putting It in Context for Your Stay
If you are considering Savanna-La-Mar as a place to stay, these themes can help put your choice of destination in context: settlement history, harbor development, church architecture, and the fountain’s design each offer a different focus. Together with the unfinished fort, they provide specific historical and architectural points of interest that you can use to decide whether Savanna-La-Mar suits your travel interests.
Discover more destinations: Darliston, White House, Bluefields, Negril, Little Bay, Grange Hill.
Back to the main travel overview: Westmoreland Parish.
