PARISH HISTORY

This Parish derived its name from the Queen of Charles II. In the first act in which it was mentioned it is correctly spelled Katherine.

The capital of the parish is Spanish Town. The site elements that determined the foundation of Spanish Town, formerly St. Jago de la Vega in 1534 was the vicinity of a river used as water supply and means of transportation, and flat land suitable for defensible space, as protection from privateers. The center still maintains today the grid pattern set by the Spanish. The park, on the original plaza, is now surrounded by the Archive building, the House of Assembly (a building of historical significance used by the Parish Council), the Old King's House and Court House (both of them ruins). A museum opens on this square.

Spanish Town, parish capital, was capital of the country until 1872 when the seat of Government was moved to Kingston. It is located at the junction of roads leading to the North and South coasts, and to the other parishes. It serves as a regional centre, with most of the major urban equipment of this hierarchical level, as a market town, and an administrative, religious and educational centre. There is no other urban centre of the same level in the Parish (Portmore has the population but not the infrastructure) and Spanish Town competes directly with Kingston, only 14 miles away.

Manufacturing, administrative, institutional and commercial activities give Spanish Town a leading role in the Parish and national economy. The market is close to the historical centre and the business sector constitutes a dynamic pole of activity and attracts people and enterprise to the area.