Of interest to architectural enthusiasts is the majestic St. Nicholas Abbey, believed to be the oldest building in Barbados. It is also one of the two Barbadian houses which have the distinction of being among the only three existing Jacobean houses in the Western hemisphere. The other Barbadian Jacobean, Drax Hall, is located in St. George, Barbados.
The current owners of St. Nicholas Abbey, Barbadian architect Larry Warren, and his wife, Anna, have set out not only to restore and preserve St. Nicholas Abbey as a heritage tourism site and museum, but to also give it new life. They have established a cottage industry in sugar-related gourmet products, including St. Nicholas Abbey-branded white rum, aged rum (their popular brown rums aged 5 to 22 years) and blackstrap molasses, all packaged, blended and bottled on-site in what used to be the stables. St. Nicholas Abbey is a prime example of a Barbadian great house that has been successfully transformed from the old plantation days to modern ways.
St. Nicholas Abbey
