Friends of the Georgian Society of Jamaica

The Iron Bridge at Spanish Town

In 1999 the Society made a donation of £1,000 towards the repair of the Iron Bridge outside Spanish Town.

Erected in 1801 by the Walker Company of Rotherham in Yorkshire, the bridge is widely thought to be the first iron bridge built in the Western Hemisphere and has therefore particular attraction for those with an interest in industrial architecture.

As Professor David Buisseret pointed out in his article in the Jamaica Journal (No. 44, 1980), the iron bridge is a 'very satisfying structure aesthetically' .

The iron bridge was listed by the World Monument Watch as one of the one hundred most endangered sites in the world for the year 1998.

A Foundation has been set up in Jamaica to undertake the restoration of the bridge itself, and to develop the surrounding site as a tourist attraction.