Tour - Free Black Settler & Early Colonial Sites of Freetown, Sierra Leone

Free Black Settler & Early Colonial Sites of Freetown, Sierra Leone

Freetown, Western Area Sierra Leone

Created By: University of Southern Indiana

Tour Information

This tour of Freetown goes through 10 sites of major importance to the development of Freetown and Sierra Leone. The tour starts with the Freetown Estuary and its early significance which was the initial focus of early development in the area. The tour the explores the Freetown Settlement which was founded by former slaves and free blacks from the "New World." The tour explores numerous colonial sites and their implications during colonial times. The goal of this tour is to showcase the sites that were foundational to the free black settlers, liberated slaves, and the colonial forces between the 1780s and the 1830s. These sites and the history around them still influences Freetown today in politics, religion, culture, and infrastructure.

Tour Map

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What You'll See on the Tour

Freetown Estuary/Queen Elizabeth II Quay

Before the city of Freetown was established, the Freetown Estuary was the initial European interest in the area. The estuary is one of the largest natural deep water harbors in the world. This harbor not only provided a great area for ocean... Read more

Granville Town/Cline Town

Cline Town is one of the early freed slave settlements in Freetown. Cline Town is named for Emmanuel Kline a liberated slave who purchased many properties in the area. Cline Town was initially called Granville Town which was founded in 178... Read more

Old Fourah Bay College

The Old Fourah Bay College site is a structure in partial ruins. The Fourah Bay College was founded in 1827 by Anglican missionaries as a school. Fourah Bay College was the first European style university in West Africa. The college became ... Read more

Ebenezer Methodist Church

Ebenezer Methodist Church was one of the early churches founded by the free black settlers from the Americas. Ebenezer Methodist Church was formed after some of the free black Nova Scotian settlers broke away from the first settler church, ... Read more

St. George's Cathedral

St. George's Cathedral is a Church Mission Society Anglican church. Governor Maxwell realized the need for a church in the center of Freetown. The project to build St. George's Cathedral was funded totally by the British government and co... Read more

King's Yard/King's Gate

This is the site of King's Yard. The still standing King's Gate was the entry to a facility where recently liberated slaves were dropped off. In 1807 the British government outlawed the slave trade in the British Empire and began enforcing... Read more

Cotton Tree

This massive cotton tree was first documented in 1787. Free black settlers from the Americas landed ashore and walked up to the towering tree. The travel weary settlers, in a foreign land, rested under the tree for awhile. The settlers th... Read more

St. John's Maroon Church

St. John's Maroon Church is one of the oldest churches in Sierra Leone. The church has major significance in the history of the Jamaican Maroon population in Freetown. Jamaican Maroons are, yet another group of Africans from "The New World... Read more

Tower Hill/Smith's Hill

Tower Hill is a geographic height slightly inland from the Freetown estuary. The hill was a natural strategic point that overlooked the coastline. Smith's Hill, as it was called during the time, was the site of the governor's house. The hou... Read more

Martello Tower

This tower is a replica based off Martello towers which are small, round, forts. The origins of British Martello towers come from their construction to protect British territory from the French in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The tower o... Read more