Oranjestad is a historic harbour town which is divided into two main sections. Lower Town is a strip of buildings just above sea level along the waterfront, which borders on the island's safest beach. Lower Town includes dive shops, numerous colonial-era ruins, and the harbour. Upper Town has a restored historic core, and is also the island's main commercial and residential centre. It is nestled between Quill & Boven National Park
Neighborhoods of Oranjestad:
• Golden Rock
• Bay Brow
History
Historical sites
Fort OranjeThe restored 'Gezaghebber House' on Kerkstraat
The first colonist arrived between 1625 and 1629.[5] Sint Eustatius produced sugar and cotton, but most importantly developed into a centre of the North American slave trade.[6] In 1780, the island had an estimated population of 20,000 people including slaves. In 1781, during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, the island was captured and plundered by George Rodney.[5] During the capture, all archives were destroyed.[7] In 1786, it was home to 7,600 people (3,000 white, 600 coloureds and 4,000 slaves). In 1829, the population had decreased to 2,273.[5]
The main historical site in Oranjestad is Fort Oranje, a well-maintained, 17th-century fort in the direct centre of the town, overlooking the waterfront. This cliff-side fort has cannons, intact bastions and a courtyard. Nearby is a museum, the ruins of one of the oldest synagogues in the Western Hemisphere, and a Jewish cemetery.[8]
The town's historical features also include a Dutch Reformed church built in 1755,[8] which is partly in ruins but still accessible (its tower can be climbed for long-distance views), various restored 18th-century merchants' residences – including the oldest one, the Gezaghebber House (former Lieutenant Governor's residence) on Kerkstraat – and restored wooden Caribbean-style houses. Snorkeling in Oranje Bay is also interesting because of the parts of 18th century buildings on the bay side that were swept into the sea.[9]
Facilities
Oranjestad itself contains grocery stores, restaurants, bars, a library, schools, a clinic and the administrative offices of the government. [citation needed]
Climate
Climate data for Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius, 1971-2000 normals
^ ab"Geodata 2001, Saba & Sint.Eustatius, Census 2001". Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, Netherlands Antilles. 2001. Retrieved 3 May 2021. Sum of Oranjestad Noord, Oranjestad Zuid, Concordia and Golden Rock
