Magdala House

Jamaica


This beautiful two-story Victorian building with decorative fretwork was built in the 1890s for Thomas Leyden, one half of the Leyden and Farquharson Shipping Company that ensured Black River's prosperity for decades. He and his shipping partner William Farquharson were among the richest men in Jamaica in the mid-1880s. The house is owned by the Catholic church and is in a state of disrepair.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Jamaica attractions

2. Invercauld Great House

0.06 MILES

Built in 1894 by Thomas Patrick Leyden, the son of shipping magnate John Leyden, Invercauld is a beautiful Georgian building with gabled roofs, bay…

3. Town Hall

0.09 MILES

Local landmark with lofty pillars.

4. Courthouse

0.14 MILES

This magnificent Georgian structure, built in the early 20th century, is home to the Legal Court and the parish council offices. In the past it doubled as…

5. Waterloo Great House

0.2 MILES

This elegant townhouse, a splendid example of the Jamaican vernacular style, with a shady wraparound veranda and jalousies, once belonged to John Leyden,…

6. Parish Church of St John the Evangelist

0.34 MILES

There has been a church on this spot since the early 1700s, though its current incarnation, built from yellow bricks shipped from England, was completed…

7. High Street

0.39 MILES

Although it’s as frenetic and chaotic as any other High St in Jamaica, Black River’s High St (note, High St and Main St are used interchangeably here) is…

8. Zong Massacre Memorial

0.49 MILES

Virtually unnoticed by passers-by, this is a memorial to what came to be known as the Zong massacre – the throwing overboard of 133 African slaves by the…