Antigua
Court House (The)
Oldest Building Still Used
Market Street/Long Street/Church Street
St. John's, Antigua
Phone: +1 268 462 0480
Fax: +1 268 462 2483
Now used as the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, this former courthouse is the building that has been in use the longest on Antigua. It was designed by Peter Harrison, American's first architect, born in Yorkshire in 1716, also the designer of the Mansion House in New York and the Redwood Library on Rhode Island and the West Indies. The first floor served as the courtroom areas and upstairs was where the assembly and council met. The building was damaged in an earthquake in 1843 and repaired. Another damaged it in 1974. Its architecture is neo-classical and built of yellow freestone from the islands off the northeast coast of Antigua. Robert Bannister contracted freestone to be cut from Pelican and Cochran's islands in 1747. William Lowry was the Mason builder and Duncan Grant was the carpenter. The building is located on the site of the first market of St. John's on Long and Market Streets. The Court of Justice was held on the ground floor. Upstairs was used as a meeting room for the Council and Assembly. On less austere occasions the halls of the Assembly are used for charity balls, bazaars, official dinners, lectures, teas and missionary meetings. In 1985 the Historical and Archaeological Society created a Museum on the ground floor. Subsequently the Government made the entire building available for this purpose.
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