Jamestown, Ghana
Encyclopedia
Located directly east of the Korle Lagoon, Jamestown and Usshertown are the oldest districts in the city of Accra
, Ghana
and emerged as communities around the 17th century British
James Fort and Ussher Fort on the Gulf of Guinea
coast. These districts were heavily developed by the end of the 19th century, and following the rapid growth of the city during the 20th century, they became areas of a dense mixture of commercial and residential use.
Today, both Jamestown and Usshertown remain fishing communities inhabited primarily by the indigenous Ga
. Although in a state of decay following years of neglect by subsequent governments, the districts are popular tourist destinations for those seeking to see the remnants of Accra's colonial past. The original Jamestown Light, built by the British at James Fort in 1871, was replaced in the 1930s by the current Accra Light, which is 93 ft (28 m) tall with a visibility of 16 nautical miles (30 km).
Since World War II, a succession of plans to enhance the capital city have come with changes in government — some seeing improvements in Jamestown as a necessary part of the overall plan, and some treating such improvements as competing with the efforts to develop the central business district of Accra. Currently, plans are afoot to re-develop the districts of Jamestown and Usshertown, both of which constitute Old Accra or "Ga-Mashie" with the inauguration of the 2015 Old Accra Strategy.
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and emerged as communities around the 17th century British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
James Fort and Ussher Fort on the Gulf of Guinea
Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean between Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian is in the gulf....
coast. These districts were heavily developed by the end of the 19th century, and following the rapid growth of the city during the 20th century, they became areas of a dense mixture of commercial and residential use.
Today, both Jamestown and Usshertown remain fishing communities inhabited primarily by the indigenous Ga
Ga people
The Ga-Adangbe are an ethnic group in the West African nation of Ghana. It is part of the Dangme ethnic group. The Ga people are grouped as part of theGa–Dangme ethnolinguistic group. They speak Kwa languages...
. Although in a state of decay following years of neglect by subsequent governments, the districts are popular tourist destinations for those seeking to see the remnants of Accra's colonial past. The original Jamestown Light, built by the British at James Fort in 1871, was replaced in the 1930s by the current Accra Light, which is 93 ft (28 m) tall with a visibility of 16 nautical miles (30 km).
Since World War II, a succession of plans to enhance the capital city have come with changes in government — some seeing improvements in Jamestown as a necessary part of the overall plan, and some treating such improvements as competing with the efforts to develop the central business district of Accra. Currently, plans are afoot to re-develop the districts of Jamestown and Usshertown, both of which constitute Old Accra or "Ga-Mashie" with the inauguration of the 2015 Old Accra Strategy.
Landmarks/Places of Interest
- James Fort
- Jamestown Lighthouse
- Ussher Fort
- Accra Railway Station
- Accra Central Post Office
- Rawlings Park
- Makola Market #2