Charlestown

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Charlestown, chief town and port on Nevis, an eastern Caribbean island in Saint Kitts and Nevis, on a bay on the western coast. It became the chief town after Jamestown, Nevis’s first settlement, was inundated by a tidal wave in 1680. In the late 18th century Charlestown was both a naval base and a resort known for mineral waters. The town was almost destroyed by fire in 1873. The main industry is sugar milling. Notable buildings include Hamilton House, where Alexander Hamilton, a framer of the U.S. Constitution, was born, and the nearby ruins of Montpelier Estate, where the British naval hero Horatio Nelson was married. Pop. (2006 est.) 1,500.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Lorraine Murray.