Stabroek was the old name of

Georgetown, Guyana Georgetown is the capital and largest city of Guyana. It is situated in Demerara-Mahaica, region 4, on the Atlantic Ocean coast, at the mouth of the Demerara River. It is nicknamed the "Garden City of the Caribbean." It is the retail, adminis ...

, between 1784 and 1812, and was the capital of

Demerara Demerara ( nl, Demerary, ) is a historical region in the Guianas, on the north coast of South America, now part of the country of Guyana. It was a colony of the Dutch West India Company between 1745 and 1792 and a colony of the Dutch state f ...

. Stabroek is currently a ward in the centre of Georgetown.

History

In 1748, Governor

Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande (12 October 1704 – 14 August 1775) was a Dutch governor of the colonies of Essequibo and Demerara from 1743 to 1772. He turned Demerara in a successful plantation colony, and the borders of Guyana are mainly base ...

build a guard post at the mouth of the Demerara River. Later English planters started to build houses around the guard post creating a little village. The town was established in 1782 during a brief occupation by the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

of the Dutch colony of

. The original name of ''Longchamps'' was changed to Stabroek in 1784, after Nicholaas Geelvinck (1732 — 1787), Lord of Stabroek, the then President of the

Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ...

. In 1789, the population was 780 people of which 239 were whites, however the town rapidly started to grow and by 1807 had a population of around 8,500 people. American traders started to built a

wharf A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths ( mooring locati ...

which became known as American Stelling, and little towns started to appear around the main settlement. The city's name changed again in 1812 when, under British rule, it became Georgetown. A ward of the city, one fourth of a mile broad and one mile long, retains the name Stabroek. Brickdam, Stabroek's main street, was paved with bricks and made of burnt earth until 1921 when it was paved over for the arrival of the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

. The upper side of Brickdam was once lined with palm trees. The old name of the city is still reflected in Georgetown's main market,

Stabroek Market Stabroek Market is the largest market of Georgetown, Guyana. Located in the centre of the capital city, the market is housed in an iron and steel structure with a prominent clock tower. Construction In 1842, the Georgetown Town Council designa ...

, which has existed on or near its present location since the 18th century, and the newspaper ''

Stabroek News The ''Stabroek News'' is a privately owned newspaper published in Guyana. It takes its name from ''Stabroek'' , the former name of Georgetown, Guyana. It was first published in November 1986, first as a weekly but it later changed to a daily prin ...

'', established in 1986.Andrew Graham-Yooll
The newspaper ''Stabroek News''
Round Table, Oct 94 Issue 332, p447 The Parliament Building is located in Stabroek on the same spot where the

Court of Policy The Court of Policy was a legislative body in Dutch and British Guiana until 1928. For most of its existence it formed the Combined Court together with the six Financial Representatives. History The Court of Policy was established in 1732 by the ...

used to be.

Gallery

Stabroek.JPG,

Parliament building, Guyana.jpg, Parliament Building Grey churh.jpg, Immaculate Conception Cathedral 20191121 Guyana 0062 Georgetown sRGB (49295972987).jpg, Supreme Court Street Scene, Georgetown, Demerara by Melton Prior, 1888.png, Stabroek in 1888

References

Bibliography

External links

Aerial view
{{Settlements in Guyana Demerara History of Guyana Tourist attractions in Guyana Wards of Georgetown, Guyana