IT is important to recognise the difference in the history and character of Manchester, relative to the rest of Jamaica, as a consequence of the forces of nature. Most of the parish sits on a plateau that is a natural mid-island barrier. This is what led to its formation as a political entity, as the relatively few inhabitants struggled to access their respective parish capitals in Vere, Clarendon and St Elizabeth.

The high, wooded central plateau was very difficult to traverse, except in the Mile Gully depression. There were no sugar plantations and the topography and climate were appreciated by the Europeans. But nowhere in Manchester is the concept of the “English Village” more evident than in Christiana and its environs.

The historic area forms part of a fertile and intensely farmed region that was dominated mainly by German immigrants who settled there in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Some were the families of Hessian mercenaries from the region of Hesse, who fought for the English against the American colonists in the American War of Independence and were granted land in Jamaica for their service. Farming continues to dominate the region, producing most of the Irish potatoes that are consumed in Jamaica. The successful Christiana Potato Growers Corporation (CPGC) owes much to that dominance. Since it became a legal entity in March 1959, the CPGC has ensured the efficient distribution of the crop.

Located about 16 km north of Mandeville, at an elevation of 2,500 feet above sea level, Christiana is the parish’s second town, accounting for five per cent of the population. Situated strategically at the north-eastern end of the parish, Christiana serves as a shopping hub for northern Manchester, southern Trelawny, north-west Clarendon, and southern St Ann. The result is a bustling and congested town.

A bypass road completed two years ago is meant to help ease that congestion, but even it can’t eclipse the character and beauty that epitomises Christiana and its environs. One writer has captured this essence in one sentence: “Christiana has the most entrancing views of jutting hills, swooping green valleys, and cheerful little red-roofed houses set among flowering plants.” This beauty is also evident in the Gourie Forest Preserve where nature lovers can camp and hike atop dramatic cockpits among pine, mahogany, and other trees native to Jamaica. The famous Gourie Caves — segments of the longest cave system in Jamaica at 3,505 metres long — are also located here. The caves are complemented by Christiana Bottom, a riverside picnic area replete with a sparkling waterfall and two sinkholes containing crystal clear water, which can be used for swimming.

Such activities can be fun in the warm tropical sun, but when darkness falls, so does the temperature. The region is generally moist and cool with winter nights especially so.

Christiana is also home to Hotel Villa Bella, formerly Villa Bella Hotel. This classic resort has been in continuous operation since 1941 when Ida Steers opened its doors for business. The hotel soon became a favourite destination as a summer resort and honeymoon haven. During the period in Jamaican tourism when beaches held little or no charm — unnecessary exposure to the sun was frowned upon and so was a tanned look — the Villa Bella Hotel was ranked among the best of its kind. The name change notwithstanding, Hotel Villa Bella’s original charm remains as it continues to offer an authentic Jamaican experience. In the old days, its services were complemented by the Savoy Hotel, which boasted the only perfectly round ballroom in the Caribbean.

Christiana and its environs have character. One needs look no further than the Cobbla Youth Community Training Centre and the Percy Junor Memorial Hospital. The Cobbla Training Centre was established in 1947 by Manchester’s native son and National Hero Norman Manley, as one of the first of the youth camps of the Jamaica Youth Corps. Under the guidance of its two founding directors, Vincent Lawrence and Owen Bachelor, the centre offered both vocational and literacy training. More than 65 years later, the Cobbla Training Centre continues to prepare Jamaica’s youth to take their respective places in society as productive citizens.

The Percy Junor Memorial Hospital is a result of the symbiotic relationship that Percy Junor believed existed between him, the land, and the people. Percy Sigismond Junor became a successful businessman by trading in the crops that were produced in Christiana and its environs. He was, at one point, the biggest supplier of locally grown ginger to soft drink giant, Canada Dry.

In order to show his appreciation, Percy Junor established the Bevo Theatre in Christiana, donated the town clock in Spalding and established the Percy Junor Memorial Hospital. Generous contributions of land, money and equipment enabled the doors of the hospital to be opened for business in 1945. It currently serves residents of Manchester, Trelawny, Clarendon, and St Ann. The native son of Walderston reportedly said that the money used to establish the hospital was the best money he had ever spent. His wish that his brainchild remain a public health facility is being honoured.

Less than 90 years earlier, Heinrich Walder, native of Switzerland and a Moravian missionary, who migrated to the region may have had similar thoughts. Walder migrated to Christiana in 1870, and by the end of that year had completed construction on the landmark Mizpah Moravian Church begun by his predecessor, Minister Theodore Sonderman in 1869. Within a few years, the Walder family had acquired enough land that eventually became the communities of Mizpah and Walderston, two of several small communities in an area known as Spitzbergen (Dutch for “Pointed Mountains”). Mizpah boasts one of the few remaining four-faced clock towers in Jamaica, sitting agelessly atop the Mizpah Moravian Church. As a landmark structure, the Mizpah Church is aptly complemented by Walderston’s Chalet, known locally as the Tower or the Castle. One story gives responsibility to a descendant of the Walder family for it being built as an observatory from which she could view ships approaching Sandy Bay, on Clarendon’s south coast.

The mountains of Christiana abound with springs and streams, some of which are tributaries of Hector’s and Cave rivers. While the former forms the northern boundary between Manchester and Trelawny, the latter is the main supplier of water to Christiana and Spalding, two towns that have stayed true to their legacy of helping to shape Manchester .

Donald I. Blair is a retired Professor of History who resides in Mandeville.