The Ins & Outs of Barbados 2022

84 Property & Investment A Rich History of Beautiful Homes Despite being an island of a mere 166 square miles, Barbados can justifiably claim to have the Caribbean’s largest and finest collection of signature properties. This is no accident, nor is it a recent phenomenon. Barbados has long enjoyed a distinguished history of fine architecture, engineering and craftsmanship, a national trait that still thrives and manifests itself in the many beautiful homes built today. Mango Bay Photos from Architecture and Design in Barbados Thanks to their continued occupation and preservation, many fine examples of plantation great houses, some dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, can be found scattered around Barbados. St. Nicholas Abbey stands out as the most magnificent of all. Built in 1658, this rare architectural gem is one of only three Jacobean mansions still standing in the Western Hemisphere today. It is very telling that one of the other two is also located in Barbados, Drax Hall in St. George. The 1900s witnessed a revival of beautiful homes being built in Barbados, when elite members of British and North American high society identified the west coast as their ideal paradise-island destination. A pivotal moment occurred when Sir Edward Cunard, of great shipping fame, invited Ronald Tree to his Glitter Bay House at the end of WorldWar II. Tree immediately fell in lovewithBarbados and soon built his own palatial house, Heron Bay, where he entertained the likes of Sir Winston Churchill and Hollywood celebrities. More significantly, Ronald Tree built Sandy Lane Hotel in 1961. An innovative aspect of his plan was to include a golf course, with strategically located house lots for sale. As the homeowners were offered access to golf, hotel facilities and the beach, this was the first resort in Barbados. It was also the launch pad for modern tourism, a benchmark for the real estate sector, and the catalyst that sparked the construction of a new wave of luxury homes. That trend continues today, resulting in an eclectic variety of modern signature properties available on the beach, on coastal ridges or inland, and isolated in private grounds or tucked away in an exclusive residential community.