Fort
San Andres, Trinidad & Tobago
One of the
oldest forts is this Fort San Andrés which
is built for the defense of Port of Spain, Trinidad
and Tobago. Originally built on an offshore rock in
the harbour, the site is now inland due to reclamation
of the surrounding land. After the British captured
Trinidad in 1797 the fort fell into disuse. A new
building, built on the foundations of the old fort
housed the Commercial Newsroom, and later the harbour-master's
office. The building housed various government offices,
but when the Police Service Traffic Branch vacated
the building in 1995 the decision was made to restore
the building to its 1845 appearance and convert it
to a museum of the City of Port of Spain. Several
of the original cannons are still present and the
foundations bear the date 1785.
This fort may
have been built as early as 1757, but the first reference
to the fort is in 1777. It saw action when the British
captured Trinidad in 1797, but was unable to prevent
them from landing.
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