Charles Fort Archaeological and Historical Project, St. Kitts, West Indies
Charles Fort Archaeological and Historical Project, St. Kitts, West Indies
Charles Fort is a significant social, cultural, and historical resource for the people of St. Kitts and the Caribbean. The forts integrity, as both a military and hospital complex, have been retained. However, the fort is threatened by the adverse impact of further erosion of the sea cliff on the western side where significant damage to the southwest and northwest bastions has occurred. Weather related damage, which has had considerable impact on the site particularly since the hospital was closed in 1996, poses a continuing threat to the fort’s buildings, unless their repair and stabilization are initiated and maintained. Similarly, structural damage from the removal of building materials and agricultural activities, while not great, will continue to degrade the site unless access is restricted. Encroachment from modern construction and agriculture
also represent a serious direct threat to the chapel and cemetery areas. More generally, these activities, unless curtailed and carefully monitored, have potential to compromise the fort’s visual integrity and its overall setting in the landscape. Although work conducted at the fort in May-June, 2000 was sufficient for assessing the fort’s significance and integrity, further archaeological and architectural studies are required to fully determine the history and chronology of its military construction and use, and to provide greater detail respecting the history and character of the hospital and its architecture. Especially, important is a thorough examination and assessment of the hospital’s landscaping.
From Charles Fort Report 01 — Read more in links below.