Call or email for assistance planning your trip: +1 (212) 203-0064 | reservations@moonjamaica.com
At the corner of two figures stand resolute, cast in bronze, their bodies thick and steadfast. A strong black man faces a voluptuous woman, their heads proudly lifted to the sky as if at once acknowledging the rectitude of their long struggle for freedom and silently praying for guidance in a new era.
Half Way Tree is the capital of St. Andrew, the parish that envelops Kingston. The bustling commercial area seen today is a far cry from its rural days when it was a popular rest stop for travelers between Kingston and Spanish Town. Several historical sites are wedged between the acres and acres of the concrete, strip mall-covered jungle.
The clock tower at the junction of Half Way Tree, Hope, Constant Spring, and Hagley Park Roads, was erected in 1913 as a monument to King Edward VII of England. It's the classic symbol of Half Way Tree.
St. Andrew Parish Church (free) also referred to as Half Way Tree Church, is one of the oldest Anglican churches on the island. The present church has a foundation that dates from 1692, when the earthquake destroyed the previous structure (which had stood only for a decade). One of the first U.S. Consuls to Jamaica, Robert Monroe Harrison, brother of U.S.
The Half Way Tree Courthouse adjacent to the Parish Church is a good example of Georgian architecture, dating from 1807. The front of the building is covered with latticework, presumably to keep out the heat as a form of early air conditioning.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church (McDonald Lane) was founded in Jamaica in 1972. This is the original state church of Ethiopia to which Haile Selassie I belonged. The church has an awkward relationship with Rastafarians in Jamaica; many of them have been baptized as Ethiopian Orthodox, including Bob Marley's children.
Kingston's Hindu Temple (114B hagley Park Road Kingdton ) holds events for all the major Hindu holidays including Ganesh Puja and Diwali. Local Hindus attend in heavy numbers on Sunday mornings.
Still one of Kingston's finest homes (guided tours 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Sat., last tour at 4:30 p.m., US$5 for adults, US$1.50 for children under 12), Devon House is a source of pride for the City. The mansion was constructed in 1881 by Jamaica's first black millionaire, George Stiebel, who made his fortune in Venezuelan gold.
Located in Bob Marley's former residence at 56 Hope Road, just north of New Kingston, the house and museum (US$20 adults, US$10 children 4–12) has been turned into a shrine to the man and his music, with rooms full of newspaper clippings and personal effects. One-hour tours run Monday–Saturday; tours start at 9:30 a.m. and the last tour leaves at 4 p.m.
Legend Café, on one side of the main gate, has great steamed fish and fresh juices. Marley's Land Rover sits under a protective carport in the other corner of the yard in front of a wall plastered with Wailers photos. Photos are not allowed inside or behind the main building that houses the museum.
