FORT AMSTERDAM

The story begins in Little Bay! The fort is located between Great Bay and Little Bay and presents the remains of the most important fortification on the island. It was built in 1631 by the Dutch and was the first Dutch fort in the Caribbean. Only a few walls, a storage building and the remains of 19th century cannons remain. Originally housing only a garrison of 80 men and a dozen weapons, the fort's walls were built of earth. Two years later, the Spanish took possession of the fort and made it their most important defense. For about fifteen years, the fort was occupied by 300 people; a village sprang up behind the fort walls on the south side. Limestone walls were erected to protect it from possible attacks by naval vessels. Peter Stuyvesant's first attempt to retake the fort in 1644 failed. Hit by a cannonball, he lost a leg and gave up. Then the Spanish realized that the strategic importance of the island was diminishing and decided in 1648 to demolish it before leaving the island. French and Dutch troops took possession immediately, before the partition treaty was put in place. For reasons unknown, the Dutch never fully rebuilt the fort. In 1748, Captain John Philips reconsolidated part of it for the defense of the island, and named it Fort Amsterdam. It is now owned by a private company that built the hotel at its entrance.