Historical Nassau

At the History Museum is the story of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World by landing in The Bahamas and claiming it for Spain. Not much happened for hundreds of years afterwards. Eventually it became a British colony, and after the Revolutionary War, it was settled by Loyalists who didn’t want to be separate from England.

The Queen’s Staircase, built in honor or Queen Victoria, leads up the hill to Fort Fincastle, a fort in the shape of a ship. Forts were needed due to the strategic location of the Bahamas, and to protect against pirates.

The Balcony House is the oldest house in Nassau, dating from approximately 1788. It was the home of wealthy Loyalists, changed hands many times. The last owner was Josephine Bryce, an American heiress, who used it until the 1970s. These old houses were built with open joist ceilings, to keep the wood from rotting in the humidity.Read more