Fort Zeelandia (Guyana)
Encyclopedia
Fort Zeelandia is located on Fort Island, a fluvial
island of the Essequibo River
delta
in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara
region of Guyana
. Not to be confused with Fort Zeelandia
in Paramaribo
, Suriname
, the current brick fort was built in 1743 for the Essequibo colony
, replacing an earlier wooden fort built in 1726, and is among the oldest structures in Guyana. The fort replaced Fort Kyk-Over-Al as the capital of Essequibo
in 1739.
at each corner. Constructed during the Dutch
possession of the region, the fort was a vital defensive fortification strategically located at the mouth of the Essequibo River
.
In 1726, it was resolved that a fort should be constructed to protect the planters and the interest of the Dutch West India Company
(DWIC). In 1726, Leslorant, an engineer was sent from the Netherlands to construct a horn work with wooden redoubt and a strong palisade of the northern point of Vlaggeneiland (Flag Island). In August 1738, Laurens Storms van Gravesande, the Secretary to Commander Gleskerk, inspected the fort and reported that the structure was falling to pieces. He recommended to the Directors of the Netherlands that a new fort of brick be built to defend the interest of the DWIC.
Construction of the fort commenced in 1740 and with the labour of enslaved Africans the structure was completed in 1743. Brick was baked on the spot and mortar and trass were imported from Barbados
and the Netherlands. The entire complex was however completed in 1749 as construction was delayed as a result of the shortage of building materials and labour. The completed structure was then christened Fort Zeelandia after the County of Zeeland
in the Netherlands, from which many of the original settlers had originated.
The Lozenge shaped design of the fort, submitted by Gravesande, is similar to other forts constructed in West Africa during that period. Fort Zeelandia consisted of a redoubt of fifty square feet, with walls thick enough to endure the heaviest ordnance. There were two stories; the lower served as a warehouse for provisions and a safe powder house whilst the upper floor housed the soldiers, with a room for the non commissioned officers. 20 portholes, consisting of two and three pounders were found on each storey.
World Heritage Site
Tentative List on November 15, 1995 in the Cultural category.
Fluvial
Fluvial is used in geography and Earth science to refer to the processes associated with rivers and streams and the deposits and landforms created by them...
island of the Essequibo River
Essequibo River
The Esequibo River is the largest river in Guyana, and the largest river between the Orinoco and Amazon. Rising in the Acarai Mountains near the Brazil-Guyana border, the Essequibo flows to the north for 1,010 km through forest and savanna into the Atlantic Ocean.-Geography:There are countless...
delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara
Essequibo Islands-West Demerara
Essequibo Islands-West Demerara is a region of Guyana, split in two by the Essequibo River. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the region of Demerara-Mahaica to the east, the region of Upper Demerara-Berbice to the south and the regions ofIt contains the towns of Parika, Schoon Ord...
region of Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
. Not to be confused with Fort Zeelandia
Fort Zeelandia (Paramaribo)
Fort Zeelandia is a fortress in Paramaribo, Suriname, that was built by British colonists in 1651 around a small trading post, created by the Dutch...
in Paramaribo
Paramaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
, Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
, the current brick fort was built in 1743 for the Essequibo colony
Essequibo (colony)
Essequibo was from 1616 to 1814 a Dutch colony in the region of the Essequibo river on the north coast of South America. The colony formed a part of the colonies that are known under the collective name of Dutch Guyana.- History :...
, replacing an earlier wooden fort built in 1726, and is among the oldest structures in Guyana. The fort replaced Fort Kyk-Over-Al as the capital of Essequibo
Essequibo (colony)
Essequibo was from 1616 to 1814 a Dutch colony in the region of the Essequibo river on the north coast of South America. The colony formed a part of the colonies that are known under the collective name of Dutch Guyana.- History :...
in 1739.
Description
The small fort is a 15 x 20 m structure surrounded by four rampartsDefensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
at each corner. Constructed during the Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
possession of the region, the fort was a vital defensive fortification strategically located at the mouth of the Essequibo River
Essequibo River
The Esequibo River is the largest river in Guyana, and the largest river between the Orinoco and Amazon. Rising in the Acarai Mountains near the Brazil-Guyana border, the Essequibo flows to the north for 1,010 km through forest and savanna into the Atlantic Ocean.-Geography:There are countless...
.
History
From the beginning of the 18th century, the commanders of Essequibo recommended that the location of the colony's administrative centre be removed as a result of the relocation of the Dutch settlers on the fertile banks of the Essequibo River.In 1726, it was resolved that a fort should be constructed to protect the planters and the interest of the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
(DWIC). In 1726, Leslorant, an engineer was sent from the Netherlands to construct a horn work with wooden redoubt and a strong palisade of the northern point of Vlaggeneiland (Flag Island). In August 1738, Laurens Storms van Gravesande, the Secretary to Commander Gleskerk, inspected the fort and reported that the structure was falling to pieces. He recommended to the Directors of the Netherlands that a new fort of brick be built to defend the interest of the DWIC.
Construction of the fort commenced in 1740 and with the labour of enslaved Africans the structure was completed in 1743. Brick was baked on the spot and mortar and trass were imported from Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and the Netherlands. The entire complex was however completed in 1749 as construction was delayed as a result of the shortage of building materials and labour. The completed structure was then christened Fort Zeelandia after the County of Zeeland
County of Zeeland
The County of Zeeland was a county of the Holy Roman Empire in what is now the Netherlands. It covered an area in the Scheldt and Meuse delta roughly corresponding to the current Dutch province of Zeeland, though it did not include the region of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen which was part of...
in the Netherlands, from which many of the original settlers had originated.
The Lozenge shaped design of the fort, submitted by Gravesande, is similar to other forts constructed in West Africa during that period. Fort Zeelandia consisted of a redoubt of fifty square feet, with walls thick enough to endure the heaviest ordnance. There were two stories; the lower served as a warehouse for provisions and a safe powder house whilst the upper floor housed the soldiers, with a room for the non commissioned officers. 20 portholes, consisting of two and three pounders were found on each storey.
World Heritage status
This site, along with the Court of Policy Building, was added to the UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
Tentative List on November 15, 1995 in the Cultural category.