Editing Nevis (section)

===Architecture===
[[File:The Museum of Nevis History - Alexander Hamilton birthplace.jpg|thumb|upright=1|The [[Museum of Nevis History]] in Charlestown is housed in the restored [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]] stone building which is near the mostly wooden building where [[Alexander Hamilton]] was born.]]
A series of earthquakes during the 18th century severely damaged most of the colonial-era stone buildings of Charlestown. The [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]] stone buildings in Charlestown that are visible today had to be partially rebuilt after the earthquakes, and this led to the development of a new architectural style, consisting of a wooden upper floor over a stone ground floor; the new style resisted earthquake damage much more effectively.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beat |first=Caribbean |date=2018-07-01 |title=Charlestown, Nevis {{!}} Neighbourhood |url=https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-152/charlestown-nevis-neighbourhood |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=Caribbean Beat Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Two important Nevisian buildings from the 18th century are Hermitage Plantation, built of [[lignum vitae]] wood in 1740, the oldest surviving wooden house still in use in the Caribbean today, and the Bath Hotel, the first hotel in the Caribbean, a luxury hotel and spa built by John Huggins in 1778. The soothing waters of the hotel's [[hot spring]] and the lively social life on Nevis attracted Europeans including Antigua-based [[Admiral Nelson]], and Prince William Henry, [[Duke of Clarence]], (future [[William IV of the United Kingdom]]), who attended balls and private parties at the Bath Hotel. Today, the building serves as government offices, and there are two outdoor hot-spring bathing spots which were specially constructed in recent years{{When|date=November 2018}} for public use.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

According to local [[folklore]], a destructive 1680 or 1690 earthquake and [[tsunami]] destroyed the buildings of the original capital Jamestown on the west coast. Folk tales say that the town sank beneath the ocean, and the tsunami is blamed for the escape of (possibly fictional) pirate [[Red Legs Greaves]].<ref name="Gosse - Who's Who">{{cite book|last1=Gosse|first1=Philip|title=The Pirates' Who's Who by Philip Gosse|date=1924|publisher=Burt Franklin|location=New York|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19564/19564-h/19564-h.htm|access-date=23 June 2017|archive-date=16 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216221651/http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19564/19564-h/19564-h.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> However, archaeologists from the [[University of Southampton]] who have done excavations in the area have found no evidence for such a tsunami. They state that this story may originate with an over-excited Victorian letter writer sharing somewhat exaggerated accounts of his exotic life in the tropical colony with a British audience back home.<ref>Machling, Tessa (2002). "Jamestown, Morton's Bay and James Fort: Myth, Port and Fort". ''Interim Report for the 2002 Season, Theme Two.'' University of Southampton.</ref>

One such letter recounts that so much damage was done to the town that it was completely evacuated, and was engulfed by the sea. Early maps do not, however, actually show a settlement called "Jamestown", only "Morton's Bay", and later maps show that all that was left of Jamestown/Morton's Bay in 1818 was a building labelled "Pleasure House". Very old bricks that wash up on Pinney's Beach after storms may have contributed to this legend of a sunken town; however, these bricks are thought to be dumped ballast from 17th and 18th century sailing ships.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}