Martello Tower (Barbuda)
| Martello Tower | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location within Antigua and Barbuda | |
| 17°35′42″N 61°49′45″W / 17.59500°N 61.82917°W | |
| Location | River Road, South Coast, Barbuda |
| History | |
| Built | 1800s |
The Martello Tower, also known as River Fort,[1][2] is a former defensive fort located on a beach about three miles south of Codrington, Barbuda on River Road.[3][4] The tower is said to be the oldest martello tower in the Caribbean[5] and served as a prototype for future martello towers.[6] At 56 ft (17 m) tall, the tower is the tallest building in Barbuda.[5]
The tower was built during the Napoleonic Wars[7] to protect Barbuda's southern coast and anchorage.[6][8] Some documents say the fort was built on the site of a former Spanish fort built in 1745.[5][9] Its design does resemble Spanish towers of the same time period.[6] However, archeological analysis of the structure's timber suggests that the fort may have originally been built by British admiral Charles Knowles in the 1740s.[10][6]
References
- ↑ Nicholson, Desmond V. (2001). Heritage Landmarks: Antigua and Barbuda. Museum of Antigua and Barbuda.
- ↑ Wilson, Gregg B. (2006). River Fort, Barbuda, West Indies: Historical Documentation and Evaluation of a Prototype Martello Tower. Central Washington University.
- ↑ "historical sites". Barbudaful. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ↑ Future Barbuda Master Plan (PDF). Government of Antigua and Barbuda. p. 24.
- 1 2 3 "Martello Towers - Other". Martello Towers. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- 1 2 3 4 Clements, Bill (2020-01-31). Martello Towers Worldwide. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-78340-878-8.
- ↑ Vaitilingam, Adam (2004). The Rough Guide to Antigua Directions. Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-84353-319-1.
- ↑ Potter, Amy E.; Sluyter, Andrew (2012-12-10). "Barbuda: A Caribbean Island In Transition". Focus on Geography. 55 (4): 140–145. doi:10.1111/foge.12004. ISSN 1549-4934. Archived from the original on 2023-02-15.
- ↑ "Sites of Memory". The Antigua and Barbuda Cultural Information System. 2023. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ↑ Watters, David R.; Miller, Regis B. (2000). "Wood Identification in Historic Sites: Inferences for Colonial Trade and Modification of Vegetation on Barbuda" (PDF). Caribbean Journal of Science. 36 (1–2): 19–30.