Queenstown
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|---|---|
Village
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  Queenstown Location in Guyana | |
| Coordinates: 7°11′37″N 58°29′38″W / 7.1936°N 58.4938°W / 7.1936; -58.4938 | |
| Country |  Guyana |
| Region | Pomeroon-Supenaam |
| Neighbourhood Council | Aberdeen/Zorg-en-Vlygt |
| Founded | 25 September 1841 |
| Population
(2012)[1]
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| • Total | 474 |
Queenstown is a village in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region of Guyana. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean coast. It is one of the first villages where the emancipated African slaves bought the lands.[2] Queenstown is home to the oldest extant mosque of Guyana.[3]
Queenstown started as three plantations named Mocha, West Field and Dageraad.[2] In 1780, Fula people from Senegambia, Africa, arrived on the plantations as slaves. The tribe set out to build a small masjid out of wattle and mud. The mosque was rebuilt three times, and is still in service for a congregation of about 50 people.[3]
In 1838, the slaves were emancipated. The plantations at the time were owned by Mr Carberry who decided to parcel up the land, and sell the lots to the former slaves.[2] On 25 September 1841, the village of Queenstown was officially founded and named after Queen Victoria.[2]
In 1842, the coffee shop of the village was transformed into the St Bartholomew's Anglican Church.[4] The church was completed in November 1843.[5] The building is shaped like an upside-down ship,[6] and has been declared a regional monument.[5]
Queenstown has a primary school, health clinic, community centre and a post office. Secondary education is provided in Anna Regina.[4]
Queenstown is one of the emancipation villages where the villagers dress up in African clothes and parade through the village accompanied by a band on Emancipation Day (1 August).[7]
