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St. Catherine – St. James Cathedral (Spanish Town)

Built in about 1525 on the site of the Spanish Chapel of the Red Cross, this cathedral stands today as the oldest ecclesiastical structure in the British Empire (outside of the United Kingdom).

When the British conquered the Spanish in 1655, the English destroyed the existing cathedral, and built in its stead an Anglican church which was demolished by an earthquake in 1714.

In 1843, the church was named the cathedral of Anglican Diocese, in the honour of the patron saint – St. James. This cathedral is built in the form of a cross. Constructed in brick, it reflects a Romanesque and a Gothic architectural style. The aisles are dotted with the tombstones of many notables in Jamaican history.

Situated near to the hose of Assembly and the Old King’s House, the St. James cathedral is currently the chief church of the Anglican denomination in Jamaica and contains the earliest existing Anglican records some of which date back to 1668.

St. Dorothy’s Church

Popularly called “Tamarind Tree Church”, St. Dorothy’s is located in Old Harbour. Built by early English settlers in the island, St. Dorothy’s is one of the oldest churches in St. Catherine. The land on which this church is built was donated by Colonel Fuller (an outstanding Parliamentary officer who arrived in the island with Penn and Venables) and his wife, Catherine.

Old Iron Bridge

This bridge is the oldest of its type in the Western Hemisphere. Built in 1801 at a cost of about £4000, it is only used today by cyclists and pedestrians. It has been partially restored by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. The JHNT spent over J$12 million to restore the foot of the bridge, which was being eroded by the Rio Cobre, as well as repair a hole in the roadway.