- Address: Rose Hall PO Box 1, St. James, Jamaica, WI
- Opening hours: 9:00 - 23:30
- Phone: +1 888-767-3425
- E-mail: info@rosehall.com
- Official website: rosehall.com
Rose Hall - the most famous and impressive mansion in Jamaica , built in Georgian style. Once it was the property of the famous planter John Palmer. With the estate of Rose Hall associated dark and creepy legend of the white witch, brought home extraordinary popularity. The dark glory of the house is simply staggering, because the locals were afraid to approach the house by more than 100 meters for almost two hundred years. Now the mansion is very popular among tourists who come here to participate in spiritualistic sessions and wander through underground tunnels. Very often Rose Hall is used as a place for weddings.
History of the mansion
The construction of Rose Hall began in the 1750s under the leadership of the famous architect of the time George Ashe, and the construction of the estate owner, John Rose Palmer, was completed in the 1770s. John himself and his wife Annie Rose Palmer, after whom the house was named, arranged here famous receptions and meetings. In 1831, during the rebellion of slaves, the mansion was destroyed and more than a century has not been restored.
In the 1960s, the three-story building was restored. In 1977, Rose Hall in Jamaica was bought by Michelle Rollins, a former Miss USA, and her husband, businessman John Rollins. The new owners at their own expense completely repaired the mansion and opened in it the Museum of the history of slave labor, which is currently working.
What is interesting about Rose Hall in Jamaica?
After the restoration, Rose Hall inside was decorated with mahogany products, installed panels and wooden ceilings. The walls were decorated with designer silk wallpapers in the style of Marie Antoinette. The antiquarian furniture of European manufacture brought here does not quite correspond to the era of Palmer's "rule", but all pieces of furniture are old enough, and some of them are created by eminent masters, so it is forbidden to touch them.
But the attraction of the mansion is not only in antique furniture. In the basement of Rose Hall is a bar, restaurant and pub in English style. Many argue that, after trying here the local cocktail "Witch's Decoction" based on rum, you begin to really see the ghosts. The modern mansion is a kind of unusual Museum of the history of slavery and at the same time a mystical place, which is enveloped in a terrible legend of the white witch. On the first floor of the museum you can see monstrous traps, which were previously installed throughout the territory to prevent the escape of slaves. Fans of the supernatural can visit the souvenir shop where the gazette paraphernalia is sold.
Legend of the White Witch
According to a gloomy legend, the rich planter John Palmer, deciding to continue his family, married a colorful Englishwoman Annie. The girl was brought up in Haiti in the spirit of free tribes and from childhood was fond of knowledge of voodoo. For a few years she has very much succeeded in magical magic. From the very first days of her life, Annie showed her inclined nature: first, maids and cooks came under her anger, then she took on the other employees. Slaves among themselves called her a white witch, since after her appearance, the mortality in the estate increased at times, and most often her abusers died.
Palmer's joint life was very short, John soon died of fever, and the slaves who buried him were missing. The young mistress did not long grieve for her husband and married a young nobleman. The new spouse, like her first husband, also died suddenly of fever. This was the official version. Among the servants there were rumors that Annie slaughtered her husband during the marriage pleasures. The third husband lived in Rose Hall even less than his predecessors. His body was found dangling on the ropes near the beam ceiling. It is known that the slaves who buried Annie's last husbands also disappeared without a trace.
The fourth husband of the white witch was more cunning than the previous men. Having caught his wife in a thirst for murder, he strangled Annie. The body of the woman lay in the bedroom of a huge mansion for more than a day, as slaves were afraid to touch him. Then the witch was buried in the so-called White Grave in Rose Hall . After the burial Palmer's lawyer could not find the next of kin of the family, therefore the house stood empty for more than 100 years. Only by 2007 the researchers proved that this story was invented from beginning to end. But it was she who brought extraordinary glory to the estate.
How to get to the Rose Hall mansion?
Rose Hall is located a few kilometers from the small town of Montego Bay . With a rented car or taxi, Albion Rd and A1 can be reached in about 25 minutes to the mansion. Public transport in this direction does not go.
Helpful information
Visiting the famous Rose Hall mansion starts daily from 9:00. You can view the estate only as part of an organized excursion. The last evening excursion, which takes place by candlelight, starts at 21:15. The entrance to the Rose Hall is paid, an adult ticket costs about $ 20, and a child ticket costs $ 10. Additional information about the work of the mansion and guided tours can be found on the phone +1 888-767-34-25.
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