St. Catherine – Churches
Philippo Baptist
Erected in 1827, the church is named after the eminent Baptist Missionary James Phillippo. He was instrumental in the formation of Sligoville, the first free village formed in Jamaica for ex-slaves. He remained there for fifty years. The remains of his body are buried in the churchyard as well as that of his daughter and wife.
Spanish Town Cathedral
This iconic church, known both as the Spanish Town Cathedral and the St. Catherine Parish Church, was built in the second half of the seventeenth century. It had its beginnings as a Catholic church, however, when the British conquered the Spaniards in 1655, the building was destroyed and rebuilt as an Anglican Church. The church as again destroyed in 1712, this time by a hurricane. It was rebuilt in 1714.
The church once contained the oldest Baptismal and Marriage Records in the island. It is also associated with important personalities in Jamaica some of whom are buried there – for instance, Sir Thomas Modyford, Governor 1664 – 1671, and the Earl of Effingham, Governor 1790 – 1791.
The church building features remarkable architecture style, combining round headed and pointed arches, classical quoins, and medieval buttresses. It also has a tower, built in 1817, and a steeple, which puts it among a few such churches in the Caribbean.