Fort Johnston, Hellshire

Fort Johnson, located in Hellshire, St. Catherine, sits on top of a hill that is 2.5 kilometers from Fort Clarence. The area was originally inhabited by the Taino people who lived in nearby villages in Naggo Head and Great Salt Pond. This group mainly relied on subsistence agriculture before it was abandoned to Spanish colonization.

It was built around 1870 by Duncan Johnson and designed by royal engineer, Major Nepean. Some of its features include a semi-circular limestone platform, barracks for gun crews, a magazine behind the platform and a canon site, designed with the intent of defending Hellshire against invasions.

Currently, it is covered in vegetation and partially damaged due to military extractions but still stands as a reminder of Jamaica’s colonial history with a street close to the site bearing its name.