Garrison Historic Area - Fun Barbados Sights

unctioning as a British Garrison for some 126 years, this facility was in fact the first Garrison of the West Indies. Today the focal point of the garrison complex is the Savannah, which is now the island's only racetrack.

Spread along the southern outskirts of Bridgetown is a veritable community of some 60 to 70 old garrison buildings of historical and architectural interest, built from a period beginning in the 1660s and continuing into the 1800s. In 1785 the British Government established permanent land forces in the Windward and Leeward Islands with Barbados as headquarters. Construction of the British Garrison then began in 1789 leaving behind a legacy of buildings, artillery and artefacts.

They were some (20) forts and (26) batteries around the island dating from the 1600s, making Barbados one of the most fortified islands of the British West Indies during that time.

The Garrison Historic area is also the exact location of a house where George Washington stayed for six weeks while visiting his sick brother in Barbados. The house is today simply called the 'George Washington House’ or ‘Bush Hill House’ due to its location at the top of Bush Hill. It was where the first president of the United States stayed in Barbados during the year 1751 on his only visit outside of America.

On November 30th 1966, the Garrison Historic Area was also the location where the ceremony was held for the lowering of the Union Jack (British flag), and the raising of the Barbados flag, thus ushering-in full independence for the country of Barbados.

Ringing the track and weaving up and down the small gaps and roads surrounding the area are the many buildings that made up the Garrison. Some of the buildings are private homes; others have been converted to offices and places of business, while others lie abandoned.

An effort is now underway to continue the restoration process of many of the buildings as well as to develop an interpretive centre and make the island's enviable National Cannon Collection more available for public viewing. This collection constitutes the largest cluster of 17th Century English cannons in the world and is also home to one of only two cannons in existence containing a gun with Oliver Cromwell's crest. Some of the cannons can be seen in front of the Main Guard facing the racetrack.

The Garrison Historic Area includes Charles Fort, St Ann’s Fort, The Main Guard, The National Cannon Collection, The Garrison Savannah, The Barbados Museum and Historical Society.