Black River

Black River serves as the capital of Saint Elizabeth Parish and sits along the banks of the river of the same name on Jamaica's southwestern coast, featuring well-preserved Georgian and Victorian architecture dating from its prosperous trading past.

The town became a major port by the 18th century for exporting logwood, sugar, rum, and pimento, and in 1773 replaced Lacovia as the capital of Saint Elizabeth Parish, later becoming Jamaica's second most important town after Kingston by the early 20th century.

Black River was the site of slave auctions at Farquharson Wharf during the colonial period, and a monument installed in 2007 commemorates the victims of the 1781 Zong massacre, when over 132 enslaved Africans were thrown overboard from the ship.

Visitors can explore the river through guided boat tours that offer crocodile safaris, with approximately 300 Jamaican crocodiles inhabiting the waterway, and tour nearby sites including the historic parish church, Invercauld Great House, and the Court House.

Black River became the first town in Jamaica to receive electricity in 1893, powered by a plant using logwood to generate steam, and was also the first to have automobiles by 1903 and an early telephone system.

Location: Saint Elizabeth Parish

GPS coordinates: 18.02556,-77.85083

Latest update: November 28, 2025 15:19