Port of Spain – a paradise

Jerome Teelucksingh

IN 2024 we cannot imagine Port of Spain without murders, homeless people, occasional flooding and traffic. It is even more difficult to visualise an urban scene without malls, banks and expensive properties. Many years ago our Port of Spain (Puerto d’Espana and Puerto de los Hispanioles till 1797) was different.

Few of us are aware that the earliest inhabitants of Port of Spain were the First Peoples. Proof of this was the discovery of human bones and peculiar historical artefacts during the restoration of the Red House in 2013. The human bones were identified as existing between 430 AD and 1390 AD.

Trinidad was initially claimed by Spain and Port of Spain soon developed as a port city with ships from Europe landing there from 1498 to the mid-18th century. St Joseph was the capital of Trinidad between 1592 and 1783. There was a change and in 1784 Port of Spain became the capital and later, in February 1797, the British captured Trinidad from the Spanish.

During the early decades of the 19th century, Port of Spain’s architecture underwent a major transformation. A great fire on March 24, 1808, forced governor Ralph Woodford to construct new buildings. A new Anglican Church – Trinity Cathedral – was built in 1823. In 1838, the Presbyterian Church of Greyfriars was constructed and the Anglicans benefited from All Saints Church, founded in 1844.

The political landscape also evolved. In 1831, Britain allowed the establishment of a Legislative Council (later known as Parliament) in Port of Spain. This institution (after being repainted in red in 1897 it was known as the Red House) allowed the Trinidad government to exercise some political power. Unfortunately, this was a cosmetic change as the majority of members of the council were white and belonged to the upper class and the urban gentry.

The Town Council of Port of Spain and the Cabildo of the Town of Port of Spain were later changed to the Port of Spain Borough Council and dealt with such issues as the provision of electricity, water and sewage.

The majestic lighthouse on the waterfront was built in 1842 and, though no longer used, serves as an important landmark.

The fertility of the soil and agricultural potential of the land were evident from the large sugar estates within the city, including the Tranquillity and Woodbrook Estates. After slavery ended in 1838, planters searched for alternative forms of labour on the estates.

Various racial/ethnic groups were imported to fill this labour void but these experiments were unsuccessful. Some who left the estates went into urban areas such as Port of Spain seeking a living. This led to a gradual change in the racial composition as the Chinese, Syrians and Portuguese made the city more cosmopolitan.

The educational foundation also underwent changes. One of the earliest government secondary schools in the city was Queen’s Collegiate (1859), which was merged in 1870 with the Royal College of Trinidad and renamed Queen’s Royal College (QRC).

Additionally, there were prestigious denominational schools such as St Joseph’s Convent (1836) and St Mary’s College (1863). Both secondary schools were initially built to cater for the educational needs of the children of the planters and the elite.

By the 1880s, the city population had expanded to 32,000 inhabitants. The residents benefited from the opening of the first railway in August 1876, which connected Port of Spain to smaller towns. The use of the mule tram service, electric tram and telephones attracted business to the capital.

The city was also shaped by global conflicts. At the outbreak of World War I, 450 men were selected to form a Trinidad contingent. They were trained in Port of Spain at the St James Barracks and the Princes Building before serving in the war.

Also, there was a vibrant US presence in the city during World War II. The Americans built air raid shelters in the city and a naval military base in Chaguaramas.

From the 1920s, Woodford Square, situated opposite the Parliament, was a meeting place for politicians, religious groups and trade unionists. During the 1950s-1970s, the square’s status was upgraded to the “University of Woodford Square” in which the working class received an informal education.

By the 1950s, Port of Spain was TT’s financial and business centre.

In 2004, the population of Port of Spain was an estimated 50,600 people. Some people still believe that working in the city is a grand privilege. Others feel that an education at one of the city’s schools is better than at other schools. Hopefully this outdated and colonial mindset will change. And maybe in the future the social problems will be solved and we can finally create a safe paradise city.