Victoria Market opened 1872

Sir John Peter Grant by Vincent Marsalla, Institute of Jamaica, 1972

CHAPTER V

THE LAST YEARS — 1872-1873

The concluding two years of Sir John Peter Grant’s administration were distinguished by the completion of several important projects initiated by the governor. In 1872 these included the opening of the Kingston Market and Landing Place, and the transfer of the capital from Spanish Town to Kingston.

The site selected for the Kingston Market was on the shore of the harbour at the end of King Street, the primary thoroughfare of the city. King Street runs north and south through the centre of the city and is perpendicular to the shore of the harbour. The new market place was constructed on the east side of King Street and was adjacent to the new public landing place. The market complex consisted of the main market building, a clock tower and market offices. The market building was constructed of iron whereas the clock tower and market offices were constructed of brick. The market building was erected within a rectangular space which was enclosed by an iron fence set on a brick wall. The dimensions of the enclosure were 306’ north to south and 159’ east to west. In the centre of each of the four sides were placed entrance gates. The principal entrance was located on the west side facing King Street. This primary entrance was through an arched way surmounted by a clock tower and having two rooms on either side at ground level which served as offices for the market. An uncovered court with an ornamental fountain was immediately opposite the main entrance, and the market building was arranged around three sides of this court. The building was supported by forty cast iron columns fifteen feet in height and octagonal in shape. They were placed forty-five feet apart from north to south and twenty-four feet nine inches from east to west. The roof trusses were forty-five feet long and were eight feet three inches apart. The roof covering was galvanized corrugated iron. The building provided 48,960 square feet, of which 33,568 square feet were under cover. Ninety-two benches or stalls twenty feet long and four feet wide were provided for the vendors. On

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the south side of the market entrance a covered iron pier was built as a public landing place. It was sixty feet in length and twenty-one feet in width with wooden flooring and stone steps. To one side of this landing a smaller iron pier was built to accommodate the market boats. The total cost of the market and land was £22,778. The public landing place cost £2,238.

Sir John Peter Grant formally opened the Market on Thursday, May 24, 1872, the Queen’s birthday. Eight thousand people were present in the building while many more lined the streets. Among those assembled in the Market building were fifteen hundred school children; and when Governor Grant entered the building for the ceremony, the children sang “God Save the Queen.” Sir John Grant named the new Market “The Victoria Market” in honor of Her Majesty Queen Victoria.

The Governor in reporting the opening of the Victoria Market said, “Kingston has now got a Market and a public landing place which would be creditable to any Town. In former years there was no practicable public landing place and the Markets were a public disgrace.”