Cockburn Town

Cockburn Town, town and seat of government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, West Indies. Cockburn Town is on the west coast of Grand Turk Island, about 20 miles (32 km) directly across a channel (Turks Island Passage) from the port of Cockburn Harbour on South Caicos Island.

Cockburn Town has served as the seat of government for the islands since 1766. The town’s streets and architecture reflect the historic influence of the many mariners and salt harvesters (called salt rakers) from Bermuda who first visited the area in the late 1600s and settled permanently in the mid-18th century to establish the salt industry. Some houses from the early period are still used as private residences; others serve as inns, the governor’s residence, and government offices. Town Pond, a saline lake, dominates the northern part of town. Its narrow arm, a series of salt evaporation ponds called the Red Salina, extends southward through the historic downtown, where government buildings, banks, churches, and commercial buildings are located.

The Turks and Caicos National Museum is located near the waterfront in a historic building called Guinep House, a former private dwelling believed to date from the early 19th century. The museum displays items related to the islands’ history, cultural heritage, and natural history. It features the remains of a ship of unknown identity and provenance known as the Molasses Reef Wreck, the oldest (c. 1513) wreck of a European ship found in the New World. Grand Turk International Airport, just south of town, receives flights from Providenciales. Pop. (2012) 133.