Many of the most interesting buildings in town are clustered along Church St, the most picturesque street in MoBay, although you shouldn’t expect a quiet historic district – this thoroughfare is as alive and chaotic as anywhere else downtown.
The highlight is St James Parish Church , regarded as the finest church on the island. It was built between 1775 and 1782 in the shape of a Greek cross, 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 they’re not, call the rector at the above number) and you can view the interior, one of the most beautiful rooms in the whole of Jamaica. Note the wonderful stained glass and marble monuments, including some fine works by John Bacon, the foremost English sculptor of the late 18th century. One is a memorial to Anne May Palmer, whose virtuous life was upended in literature to create the legend of the White Witch of Rose Hall. Look carefully at her neck and you’ll detect faint purple marks. Locals consider this proof of the fable that the ‘witch’ was strangled. Outside are the neglected (yet romantic, in a decaying way) gravestones of old planters.
The pretty Town House , fronted by a stately redbrick exterior, is buried under a cascade of bougainvillea and laburnum. The house dates from 1765, when it was the home of a wealthy merchant. It has since served as a church manse and later as a townhouse for the mistress of the Earl of Hereford, Governor of Jamaica. In the years that followed it was used as a hotel, warehouse, Masonic lodge, lawyer’s office and synagogue (its current incarnation is a clothes store).
At the corner of Water Lane is a plantation-style octagonal structure that today houses a police station. About 50m west, at the corner of King St, is a redbrick Georgian building harboring the National Housing Trust . A more impressive structure is the three-story Georgian building at 25 Church St – headquarters of Cable & Wireless Jamaica.
