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Fort Street

 

Fort Street 2008
Basseterre was the main town of the French quarters of the island.  Just as Thomas Warner set up wooden forts in Old Road, Pierre Belain D’Esnambuc set up a Fort Pierre in Basseterre.  When Governor Phillippe De Longvillier De Poincy took over the administration of the French Caribbean Islands, he wanted something stronger and more permanent.  It is known that De Poincy took military architecture seriously.  He had books on the subject.  The Fort he built was constructed of masonry and designed to meet engineering specifications. 
After the turbulent years of the late 17th century, Fort Londonderry was built on the Basseterre Bay front. Fort Street was  the most eastern of the roads perpendicular to the Bay Front and  the closest street to these military structures, hence its name.
Baker 1753 detail
Baker 1753 detail

National Archives
Government Headquarters
Church Street
Basseterre
St. Kitts, West Indies

Tel: 869-467-1422 | 869-467-1208
Email: NationalArchives@gov.kn
Website: www.nationalarchives.gov.kn
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