Mandeville Courthouse, the oldest building in Mandeville square.

Clean, cool and marvellously rich with history is the capital town of Manchester - Mandeville. The town was established as far back as 1815. Two years later, the first courthouse in the parish was built there, and just 40 years later, one of the oldest hotels in the Caribbean was established on its soil.

The town of Mandeville is historically a British town. It was named after Viscount Mandeville, son of the then Governor of Jamaica, the Duke of Manchester. The high altitude of the town, more than 600 metres above sea level, means that Mandeville is hailed as one of Jamaica's coolest towns.

The oldest building

The Mandeville Courthouse, which is actually the oldest building in the Mandeville square, was built 192 years ago, and to this day the original structure has not been changed. The courthouse has had its fair share of prominence, for example, when Princess Margaret was touring the southern parishes of the island in 1955, her official welcome to the parish of Manchester was held at the courthouse.

The Manchester Golf Club, which was established in 1865, is believed to be the first in the Caribbean and the oldest surviving club in the western hemisphere. The parish library, which was established in 1938, is noted as the first 'free' library in Jamaica.

The Mandeville population is a mixture of returning residents, intellectuals, professionals, farmers and vendors. For years, Mandeville has been distinguished by the high number of returning residents that chose to retire there.

The population of Mandeville apparently began to boom around 1957 with the establishment of the alumina mining company, Alcan Bauxite. The move lured many individuals seeking high wages and a peaceful life to the town. Since then, the town has not grown consistently.

Jamaica Cricket Association's Manchester Lions won the Super League this season. The parish has gained some prominence as a result of the competition.