Devon House was built by George Stiebel, Jamaica’s first black millionaire, and was declared a national monument in 1990. The area was known as “Millionaire’s Corner” at Trafalgar and Hope Road. Devon House is a historical site and now serves as a museum, park, shopping, and dining center for visitors and locals.
Born in the 1820s to a Jamaican housekeeper and a German Jew, due to being mixed race George Siebel endured harsh treatment from his schoolmates. He left the classroom at fourteen years old to become a carpenter’s apprentice. At nineteen, George played a big part in reconstructing the famous Ferry Inn, located between Kingston and Spanish Town. In the 1840s, this young man with his dreams and visions, entered into the business world, where he encountered the vast world and even more hardship. He was ship wrecked where he lost everything, except the money that was tied to his waist. He voted never to return to Jamaica until he restored his wealth, he then went to Venezuela where he worked and made all this wealth back, then he returned to Jamaica.
Devon House is now a prominent tourist spot. There is now the ‘I scream’ palor…which one should be careful because it is so good and huge. My advise buy one scoop. It is also a beautiful place to get married and the grass is a famous area for lovers. Devon House is a monument to those Jamaicans who struggled to make Jamaica what it is now, a place to be at peace. Come mon…check it out the vibes, it’s a must see.
Wonders of Jamaica 