BAPTIST MISSION

Built in 1798, this austere building between neoclassical and neo-gothic testifies to the skill of Jamaican craftsmen of the 19th century. High ceilings and black and white marble floors characterize its interior design. It is the first Masonic temple on the island built by the Scottish lodge of Athol Union. From expansion to embellishment, it put the Scottish Lodge in such debt that it had to be sold. The Baptists bought it at auction in 1832 and occupied it until 1950. William Knibb College moved in in 1961 for 14 years.