Port Royal

Historical City

Fort Charles

Port Royal Historical City

Culture City

Culture City

Kingston Music City

Devon House

Blue Mountain

Tourism City

Holywell

Tourism City

Emancipation Park

Home Of The Free

China Gardens

Heritage Of China

Kingston Music City Streets

Hope Zoo

Office Of the mayor

Meet and learn about His Worship the Mayor, Senator & Councillor
Delroy H. Williams

Deputy Mayor

Meet our new Deputy Mayor, Councillor Winston Ennis who is working earnestly to make Jamaica a better place.

Councillors

Get to know our long list of councilors and see which one is serving near you.

Mission Statement

To meet the local needs of the citizens of Kingston and St. Andrew by providing effective and efficient services to enhance the quality of life by:

  1. Keeping our Community clean, safe and thriving
  2. Serving our Citizens and other stakeholders
  3. Attracting and increasing the flow of Cash
  4. Cultivating a culture of effectiveness in the KSA
Vision

To be recognized as the leading innovative Local Authority in Jamaica by 2015 and beyond, with professionalism, transparency and integrity as our hallmark.

we Cultivate a culture of effectiveness in the KSAmc

Serving our Citizens and Building
a Safe Community

The Beautiful City of Kingston (Home of the KSAMC):

is pregnant with a rich cultural heritage, Kingston is blessed with a number of historical sites, vacation ‘hot spots’ and a haven for day and night entertainment.

This includes the imposing Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Cathedral, the historic Ward Theatre and the famous National Stadium, stomping ground of Jamaica’s world renowned athletes.

The affairs of the Council are managed by full time administrative staff responsible for policy implementation and a Political Directorate responsible for policy formulation.

Delroy H. Williams

mayor of kingston
know your roots

Learn More About
The City of Kingston

Vintage

About the city

The largest city of Jamaica, Kingston is located on the south-eastern coast of the island. It faces the 7th largest natural harbour in the world and is protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island. In the Americas, Kingston is the largest predominantly English-speaking city south of the United States.

Kingston, was founded in July 22, 1692, on Colonel Samuel Barry’s Hog Crawle as a refuge for the survivors of the June 7th ,1692 earthquake, that destroyed two-thirds of the nearby city of Port Royal and causing the death of about three thousands persons. The survivors of this massive earthquake fled to an area across the harbour then known as the Liguanea Plains, named after the giant Iguana. The Plains was a 530 acres property owned initially by Colonel Samuel Barry and was used as a hog pen.

Sometime in the early 1660s Colonel Barry sold the property to Colonel William Beeston. Colonel William Beeston owned the entire Liguanea Plains until 1692, the year the massive earthquake destroyed the wealthiest and most populous English town in the new World.

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Our History

The Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) became a corporate body as a result of the amalgamation of the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew in 1923, when by virtue of Law 3 of 1923, they were merged into a single Municipal Unit.

By 1924 the new Municipal Authority was elected led by the Honourable H.A. Laselve Simpson, solicitor, legislator, able polemicist and one of the leading advocates of the amalgamation. He became the first mayor of the new metropolis, having previously served as Mayor of the City of Kingston from 1913-1916.

The new council comprised eight (8) Elected Councillors, four (4) Co-opted Aldermen and four (4) Ex-Officio Members, namely the Elected Members of the Legislative Council for the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew, the Director of Public Works and the Superintending Medical Officer. The council established its office at 24 Church Street where the Council Chamber is still located. The Head Office of the Corporation was removed to the Kingston Mall at 1-3 King Street in October 1977.

The Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) continues to guide the growth and development of the Corporate Area, despite the many challenges it faces. With a population of nearly 700,000 and an area of just over 185 square miles, the municipality is ranked as the commercial capital of Jamaica and the epicentre of interest for locals and visitors alike.

Port Royal

Beneath the waters of Port Royal lies a sunken city more than 300 years old. Port Royal is possibly the most important under water archaeological site in the Western Hemisphere. Once known as the richest and wickedest city in the world, Port Royal's history stretches back to Jamaica’s indigenous inhabitants, the Tainos. It was first used by the Tainos as a fishing camp. When the Spaniards arrived in Jamaica in 1650, they used Port Royal for cleaning, refitting and caulking of their sailing vessels. In 1655, England sent a fleet under the command of Admirals Penn and Venebles to capture Hispaniola.

The mission failed and Penn and Venables decided to move on to capture the less fortified and sparsely populated island of Jamaica. The strategic location and excellent natural harbour quickly proved its worth. The British quickly constructed a fort along the harbour to strengthen the defences of the island. The town that developed around the fort, was named Port Royal in 1660. Even though Port Royal had Fort Charles and various other smaller forts for protection, the fear of Spanish attack still existed. As a result,the administration of the town invited pirates and buccaneers to settle in Port Royal. This was to ensure that a constant supply of ships and fighting men were always at hand.

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                                                   1692 Port Royal Earthquake

On June 20th 1692 a violent earthquake sunk into the earth a great portion of Port Royal, which was at the time considered a town of much wealth and wickedness. Historian George Bridges stated that the shock was accompanied by screams of anguish, cries of horror, rushing water and the crash of edifices. Lewis Galdy in Bridges’ Annals of Jamaica, Volume 2 reported that a huge tidal wave flooded the streets that moments before were displaying the glittering treasures of Mexico and Peru. 1500 to 2000 persons were killed with another 3000 injured. In the aftermath of the earthquake, thousands more died from disease and injury.







                                                   1907 Kingston Earthquake

The 1907 earthquake which shook the capital of city of Jamaica with a magnitude of 6.5 on the moment magnitude scale on Monday January 14, is described by the United States Geological Survey as one of the world's deadliest earthquakes recorded in history. Eighty-five percent of the buildings in Kingston were destroyed by the shaking, which was followed by a fire that destroyed most of the commercial district of Kingston. The whole city was like a ship in a choppy sea with buildings reeling and falling. Entire streets were levelled and crowds of frightened, shrieking people streamed northwards towards the Kingston Race Course. Over 800 persons were killed by the earthquake and the fires that followed. Approximately 501 bodies were buried in a mass grave. Today a monument marked the burial site in memory of those who perished.  In May 1907, Governor Sydney Haldane Olivier began a tenure that lasted until 1913. Under his watch a new city rose from the ruins, making Kingston into what it is today











WWII & Gibraltar Camp


During World War II, which broke out in 1939, the civilian population was evacuated to Britain, Madeira and Jamaica in order for Gibraltar to be fortified against the possibility of a German attack. By 1942, 30,000 British soldiers, sailors and airmen were found on Gibraltar and 1,500 Gibraltarians were in Jamaica.The then Mona Estate was considered an ideal location for a refugee camp because at that time it was government property, spacious enough and located close to Kingston. The first set of 1,104 Gibraltarians (185 men, 673 women and 246 children) arrived on the Neuralia in October, 1940. Thousands of Jamaicans turned out to welcome them, punctuating their bus trip to the camp with cheers.       



               

Coronation Market

‘Coronation Market’ or ‘Curry,’ ‘Duppy Market,’ ‘Grass Yard’ receives a special placement in the hearts of generations of Jamaicans and stands supreme as the desired trading spot for people from all walks of life to display their wares. It is the largest wholesale market in the English speaking Caribbean. The market holds a special place in Jamaican culture as the 'stomach' of the country.Before becoming a Grass Yard the site was a burial ground for slaves and it can be seen labeled on Christian Lilly’s Plan of Kingston as “Burying Ground for Strangers” and “Negro Burying Ground”. This was why the market was also known as ‘Duppy Market.’ The market was constructed formally during 1936 by then Mayor of Kingston, Hon. Hubert A. L. Simpson, O.B.E. When Queen Victoria was crowned in June 1938 the ‘Grass Yard’ was formally renamed the Coronation Market to commemorate the occasion.











Kingston - the heartbeat of Jamaican music

Reggae is commonly used to define Jamaica’s music, and is the most popular music form to come out of Kingston. Reggae evolved from Ska and Rocksteady and later gave birth to dancehall music. Kingston is the heartbeat of Jamaican music history and its cultural mecca. Drawing from several different influences, our music reflects the tides of the time with the sounds and rhythms, each possessing its own distinctive beat. Folk is the earliest music form in Jamaica and remains one of the most influential aspects of our heritage. Towards the turn of the 20th century the music evolved into a pulsating music form called Mento. Its medley of banjos, hand drums, guitars and rhumba boxes created a fascinating beat with light-hearted and often times comical lyrics. Mento remained the most popular home-grown style music until the development of Jamaican R&B or Blues Beat in the late Fifties. This new sound was at first indiscernible from old-style American R&B, but soon developed a sound of its own that ultimately led to Ska, which was commercialized by the late Don Drummond and the Skatalites during the early 1960s.  Rocksteady, was a slower, somewhat erotic version of Ska, with elements of American Rhythm and Blues and the Mento. By the end of the 1960s the music had become more up-tempo and the popular musical genre known as Reggae was born. Reggae quickly became the island’s dominant musical style. Following the passing of Bob Marley in 1981, the roots and cultural sounds of the seventies was supplanted by the more forceful, inward looking style of Dancehall. Dancehall reflects the music currently popular among Jamaican audiences. It is typified by lyrics that deal with the pleasures and pains of everyday life in the ghetto.










Ward theatre

The Ward Theatre was presented as a gift to the city of Kingston in 1912 by Colonel Charles Ward, then Custos of Kingston. It occupies a site in Downtown Kingston, which has been in continuous use as a theatre since the 1770s. The first was the Kingston Theatre and the second was the Theatre Royal which was destroyed in the 1907 earthquake.

post office and court house

This Court House was built in 1807 and was approved by the Parish Vestry Committee in the following year. The Court House was repaired in 1882 due to damage by a storm and two years later was repaired and repainted. The building was not damaged in the 1907 earthquake.During the Second World War, the building was occupied by Imperial Censors. It was also the venue for the Second Junior Centre by the Institute of Jamaica and this was officially opened on December 12, 1941, and remained open at this site for over forty years.

king street ca. 1955

In 1907, 800 people died in another earthquake known as the 1907 Kingston earthquake, destroying nearly all the historical buildings south of Parade in the city. That was when a restriction of no more than 60 feet (18 m) was instituted on buildings in the city centre. These three-story-high buildings were built with reinforced concrete. Construction on King Street in the city was the first area to breach this building code.

Coke Methodist Church

Coke Methodist Church was built in 1840 and named after Thomas Coke, the father of the Methodist Missions. The church opened in a period of great hostility towards missionary activity. Today, it is one of the few remaining examples of churches where slaves worshipped. The church was severely damaged in the 1907 Kingston earthquake that damaged much of Kingston and resulted in the death of over 1000 persons. The current structure which dates back to that time was rebuilt in the basic neo-Gothic style of the original Church.

the court house, harbour street

Kingston Parish Church

Coke Methodist Church was built in 1840 and named after Thomas Coke, the father of the Methodist Missions. The church opened in a period of great hostility towards missionary activity. Today, it is one of the few remaining examples of churches where slaves worshipped. The church was severely damaged in the 1907 Kingston earthquake that damaged much of Kingston and resulted in the death of over 1000 persons. The current structure which dates back to that time was rebuilt in the basic neo-Gothic style of the original Church.

meet our political directorate

Office Of the mayor

Meet and learn about His Worship the Mayor, Senator & Councillor
Delroy H. Williams

deputy mayor

Meet our new Deputy Mayor, Councillor Winston Enniswho is working earnestly to make Jamaica a better place.

councillors

Get to know our long list of councilors and see which one is serving near you.

OVERVIEW

The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) became a body corporate as a result of the amalgamation of the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew in 1923, when by virtue of Law 3 of 1923, they were merged into a single Municipal Unit.

Mission Statement

To meet the local needs of the citizens of Kingston and St. Andrew by providing effective and efficient services to enhance the quality of life by:

  1. Keeping our Community clean, safe and thriving
  2. Serving our Citizens and other stakeholders
  3. Attracting and increasing the flow of Cash
  4. Cultivating a culture of effectiveness in the KSA
Vision

To be recognized as the leading innovative Local Authority in Jamaica by 2015 and beyond, with professionalism, transparency and integrity as our hallmark.

We became a body corporate as a result of the amalgamation of the parishes
best in quality service in the area of kingston

Welcome to KSAMC.
We are professional & reliable

A city that cares for its own and looks out for the poor and needy. A city which hath foundations

Delroy H. Williams

Home of the brave, bold and courageous. An improved site to fit your needs.

Political Directorate

The Political Directorate consists of forty Councillors who are elected to office once every three (3) years through Local Government Elections held under Universal Adult Suffrage. A Mayor and a Deputy Mayor are chosen from the elected Councillors; the Mayor heads the Political Directorate. The political party having the majority of elected members of the Council has the right to select (from their numbers) the person to be Mayor.

The Kingston and St.Andrew Municipal Corporation operates through a system of committees. These committees are responsible for policy formulation on matters ranging from Finance to Discipline. A chairperson heads each committee. A General Purpose Committee consisting of the chairpersons of all committees forms the equivalent of a Cabinet of the Council.