Water Square

Montego Bay & Northwest Coast


The best place to orient yourself is Water Sq, at the east end of Duke St. Named for an old circular stone reservoir dating from 1798, the square (actually a triangle) has a fountain that replaced a system powered by water wheels that gave Falmouth running water before New York City. In the evening, the square really comes to life, with people limin' under the coconut trees, blaring reggae and delicious smells wafting from stalls.

Many of the wooden shop fronts in this area are attractively disheveled relics. In the 18th century, the shops were staffed by Jewish merchants; now the shop owners tend to be Jamaican Chinese.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Montego Bay & Northwest Coast attractions

1. Albert George Market

0.01 MILES

The market structure on the east side of Water Sq, which dominates central Falmouth, was once the site of slave auctions and now encloses a mediocre…

2. Courthouse

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One block east of Water Sq is Seaboard St and the grandiose, yellow Georgian courthouse in Palladian style, fronted by a double curling staircase and…

3. Tharp House

0.08 MILES

Tharp House sags from age yet is still one of the best examples of an elegant period townhouse. Today housing the tax office, it was formerly the…

4. Baptist Manse

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The restored Baptist Manse (not open to visitors), dating back to 1798, was formerly the residence of nonconformist Baptist preacher William Knibb, who…

5. Phoenix Foundry

0.11 MILES

One of Falmouth's most distinctive buildings, Phoenix Foundry was built in 1810 and sports a strange-looking conical roof. Behind the foundry, guarded by…

6. William Knibb Baptist Memorial Church

0.12 MILES

On July 31, 1838, slaves gathered outside this church for an all-night vigil, awaiting midnight and then the dawn of full freedom (to quote the emancipist…

7. Barrett House

0.13 MILES

At the top of Market St, opposite Scotiabank, is the ruin of Barrett House, missing its top floor. Built in 1799, it's hard to believe now that this used…

8. St Peter’s Anglican Church

0.29 MILES

The oldest extant building in town (and the parish's oldest church) is St Peter’s Anglican Church, built in 1796 and topped with a tower in 1842. It lies…

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