General History - Montego Bay

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Settled in 1774 by Colonel Thomas Williams Jr., Good Hope began as a sugar estate and grew to a village to support the workers after Emancipation. In the eighteenth century the Good Hope Estate belonged to John Tharpe, then the largest land and slave owner in Jamaica.

Aside from Good Hope, Windsor Estate, the extensive Long Pond Estate and a number of other smaller sugar plantations in Trelawny belonged to Tharpe, who had as many as 3000 slaves to run the plantations. In addition, Tharpe owned much of the prime waterfront property in Falmouth, and his townhouse, now the Falmouth branch of the government tax office, is still one of the most elegant structures in the town.

The small village has some of the best examples of Georgian architecture in the island, and the churchyard has many old and interesting tombstones. On the estate, the Great House, the Slave Hospital, the Counting House and parts of the sugar mill aqueducts and water wheel are still standing, and generally, Good Hope is regarded as having the largest number of well-preserved plantation buildings on the island.

Ideally positioned to take advantage of the tropical breezes and to observe the activities on the estate, the Great House veranda offers a commanding view of the paw-paw and sugar cane laden Queen of Spain Valley, and spectacular vistas of the northern Cockpit Country. At dawn, the Cockpit Country comes alive, and floating gently on the morning mists are the energetic songs of wild birds.

The Great House has many antique pieces, but of particular interest is a very unusual bathtub, said to be the first of its kind in Jamaica. The tub itself is inlaid with tiles over a lead mould, and was provided with hot water from a copper water heater just outside the room. Other antiques are scattered through the house, blending with more modern pieces to shape an elegant country home. Unfortunately, tours and walk-in visits are not available since the Good Hope Estate is privately owned and the Great House, Counting House and Carriage House have all been refurbished as discrete completely staffed ultra-luxury villas.

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