St James Parish Church

Montego Bay


Regarded as the finest church on the island, it was originally built between 1775 and 1782, but was so damaged by the earthquake of March 1, 1957, that it had to be rebuilt. With luck, the tall church doors will be open (if not, call the rector) to view the interior, one of the most beautiful rooms in Jamaica. Note the wonderful stained glass depicting the Crucifixion, and the marble monuments, including works by renowned 18th-century English sculptor John Bacon.

To the left of the altar is a memorial to Rosa Palmer, the original, virtuous mistress of Rose Hall whose history often gets confused with that of Annie Palmer, also known as the White Witch of Rose Hall. Outside are the neglected (yet romantic, in a decaying way) gravestones of old planters.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Montego Bay attractions

2. Burchell Memorial Baptist Church

0.11 MILES

Two blocks east of Sam Sharpe Sq is one of the churches in which Sam Sharpe is said to have been a deacon. The building, which dates to 1835, is a slice…

3. Sam Sharpe Square

0.14 MILES

This bustling, cobbled square is named for Samuel Sharpe (1801–32), national hero and leader of the 1831 Christmas Rebellion; it is also where he was…

4. Montego Bay Cultural Centre

0.14 MILES

At the southwest corner of Sam Sharpe Sq you’ll find the copper-domed Civic Centre, an elegant colonial-style, cut-stone building on the site of a ruined…

5. National Museum West

0.14 MILES

This well-curated, revamped museum, peppered with period objects, takes you through the history of western Jamaica, from the Cohaba ceremonies of the…

6. Cage

0.15 MILES

In its current reincarnation as a craft shop, the Cage was built in 1806 as a lockup for drunk and disorderly sailors, vagrants and slaves who failed to…

7. National Heroes' Monument

0.15 MILES

This bronze monument, crafted by Jamaican sculptor Kay Sullivan, depicts Sam Sharpe, bible in hand, speaking to four admirers.

8. Creek Dome

0.18 MILES

The bizarre-looking Creek Dome was built in 1837 above the underground spring that supplied drinking water for Montego Bay and was still in use after 1894…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "jamaica/montego-bay/attractions/st-james-parish-church/a/poi-sig/431292/358078",
      "destination": "Montego-Bay",
      "continent": "Caribbean",
      "country": "Jamaica",
      "city": "Montego-Bay",
      "position": "superzone"
    }