1545 GUYANA - Stabroek Market in Georgetown

Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, was established under the name Longchamps in 1782, during a brief occupation by the French of the Dutch colony of Demerara. The original name of the town was changed to Stabroek in 1784, after Nicholaas Geelvinck (1732-1787), Lord of Stabroek, the then President of the  Dutch West India Company. The city's name changed again in 1812 when, under British rule, it became Georgetown. A ward of the city retains the name Stabroek, and also its main market, which has existed on or near its present location since the 18th century.

In 1842, the city council designated the current location of the market on Water Street, officially recognizing it as a market despite the fact that it had served such a capacity for quite some time. The market was designed and constructed by the Edgemoor Iron Company of Delaware, USA over the period 1880-1881. Construction of the iron and steel structure was completed in 1881 and may be the oldest structure still in use in the city. Designed by an American engineer Nathaniel McKay, this market houses a wide variety of items for sale. Though the architectural style is elusive, the iron structure and the prominent clock tower is reminiscent of the Victorian era of Great Britain.

About the stamp

The souvenir sheet was issued in 2014 to celebrate HRH Prince George of Cambridge First Birthday.

References
Stabroek Market - Wikipedia

Sender:
Sent from Georgetown (Guyana), on 30.01.2015