Waterfort is a fort in Willemstad , Curaçao located on the eastern side of the Sint Anna Bay . It was built in 1827 to protect Willemstad against attack. In 1858, marines were stationed in the fort. During World War II, the fort was put into operation again. In 1955, the marines were moved to Marinebasis Parera [ nl ] , and Plaza Hotel Curaçao , a luxury hotel, was built in the fort.
6-535: The earliest fort at the location dated from 1634, but was abandoned. In the 1820s, all existing forts except for Fort Beekenburg were in a neglected state, and governor Paulus Roelof Cantz'laar developed a plan to strengthen the fortifications of Curaçao. In 1825, William I of the Netherlands appointed Lieutenant General Krayenhoff to construct new defences. Krayenhoff arrived in Curaçao on 26 June. The plan
12-493: The fort reopened, and the Netherlands Marine Corps reoccupied the barracks. In 1955, it was decided to build Plaza Hotel Curaçao , a luxury hotel, inside the fort. The marines were relocated to Marinebasis Parera [ nl ] in late 1955, and the barracks were demolished. Fort Beekenburg Spaanse Water is a town on the island of Curaçao . It contains the tourist resort Nieuwpoort ,
18-527: The time served as Director of Curaçao. It has been attacked several times by the French, English, and pirates, but has never been conquered. The fort used to be owned by Royal Dutch Shell, but since 2005, it is publicly accessible. Santa Barbara is a plantation founded in 1662, and was one of the oldest and largest plantations on the island. It was not very profitable, and sold in January 1875. The plantation
24-543: The village of Santa Barbara , and the Tafelberg . Spaanse Water is a natural harbour and lagoon located to the east of Willemstad . The lagoon contains several bays and little islands. Spaanse Water was a strategically important location. In 1703, Fort Beekenburg was constructed on the Caracas Bay to protect the natural harbour and the back route to Willemstad . The fort was built by Nicolaas van Beek who at
30-536: Was subsequently resold to John Godden in May 1875 who started a large scale phosphate mine on the terrain. In 1915, a calcium mine was added to the site. The mines are still active, and the mining company has estimated that the reserves will last until 2045. In 1927, Royal Dutch Shell built an oil terminal in Spaanse Water. The oil terminal closed in 2005. In the late 20th century, Spaanse Water developed into
36-559: Was to build Waterfort on the eastern side of the harbour and the Rif Fort on the western side. The plan was approved on 10 August 1826, and construction started in 1827. The completion of Waterfort meant that Fort Amsterdam no longer played a defensive role. In 1858, the Willem III Barracks were built inside the fort to house 178 marines. By 1917, the fort had become obsolete, and had been abandoned. During World War II ,
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