The Island of Nevis formed in a series of volcanic eruptions over a period of approximately 3 1/2 million years, however, it has been .98 million years since the last eruption. Despite this the Island is still volcanically active as evidenced at Bath Spring and several near shore underwater sites

Charlestown was built on an area which could be protected by Fort Charles and Fort Black Rocks. It was the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, whose family home has been painstakingly reconstructed as a museum. The original, built in 1680, was destroyed during an earthquake in 1840. Most of the 18th century stone houses were destroyed during the relatively common earthquakes of the 1800's, which led to a practice of building wooden upper floors over a ground floor made of stone.

The Jewish Cemetery

Charlestown is also the site of the oldest synagogue in the Caribbean. During the 1700's, 25% of the population were Sephardic Jews, who brought the latest in sugar cane growing and processing techniques to Nevis and the Leeward Islands, after being expelled from Brazil during the 17th century.

The Jewish Cemetery in Charlestown is a tangible reminder of a once vibrant community that existed on the island of Nevis. The cemetery contains gravestones that are engraved in English, Hebrew and Portuguese, dating from 1679 to 1768. Once constituting 25% of the island's population, the Sephardic Jews of Nevis brought to the island the secret of how to crystallize sugar, a technique that had been discovered and protected by the Portuguese and the Spanish. Expelled from Brazil during the 17th century, their arrival in Nevis helped to make the island the 'Queen of the Caribbees,' a title that referred primarily to its remarkable sugar production. A stone-walled path, known as the 'Jews Walk,' leads from the cemetery to the supposed site of the community's synagogue, which is believed to have been built in 1684.

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