Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison -- Codd's House Site

Codd’s House Site

By, Dr. Tara Inniss, Department of History and Philosophy, Cave Hill Campus, UWI

The parking area immediately behind the Nidhe Israel synagogue and opposite Police Headquarters is the location of a once prominent building in Bridgetown and the now vacant space tells the story of heritage lost in the city.

Known as the site of Codd’s House, owned by William Codd, was leased to the Legislature and the Courts as the site for the New Town Hall. Parliament met there between 1837 and 1848. The termination of the Apprenticeship System in May, 1838 was signed in this location, finally freeing the apprenticed population, which was formerly enslaved – granting full emancipation. In 1840, Bridgetown became the 12^th constituency by statute, which was brought into effect at Codd’s House, paving the way for the election of the first non-white Barbadian to the House of Assembly for the City of Bridgetown, Rt. Hon. Samuel Jackman Prescod. Codd’s House was eventually pressed into service as the site for the first library, and later the Barbados Water Authority.

Unfortunately, in 1985, Government demolished Codd’s House to make way for the planned new law courts. The plan was abandoned and the Law Courts are now located just beyond Coleridge Street on Whitepark Road on the site of the old Barbados Foundry.[1] Now a car park, the site is now slated to become part of a redevelopment project for the quadrant with a memorial to the site of the building from which the island's enslaved, then apprenticed population, were finally made free. 

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[1] Carrington et al., A-Z of Barbados Heritage: 46.