Bonaire, History, Kralendijk, Fort Orange, 1639-1999

A wooden “Warehouse” was built around 1639 and was used as by the West Indies Company as Heaquarters. Fort Orange is established in 1796 but is named “Fort Oranje” in 1816 (Treaty of Paris). The cannons of Fort Oranje were sent from Fort Zoutman (Curaçao) in 1786 but only installed on 1797. The commander lived here until 1837 when his home was built next door. The Fort never saw action.

A wooden lighthouse was built around 1868, and replaced by a Stone Structure in 1932.

Over the years, the building has been used as a government center and warehouse for government goods, as a prison, police and fire station. The fort building was restored in 1999 and is now the Courthouse.

©2012 Olivier Douvry/GlobeDivers

Tagged as: 1639, 1639-1999, 1796, 1868, anchorage, Bonaire, buen-ayre, cannons, fort orange, fort oranje, garrison, government, history, jail, klein bonaire, kralendijk, lighthouse, police station, prison, shipwreck, shipwrecks, Shipwrecks of Bonaire, warehouse

Categorised in: 2012, Artifacts, Bonaire, Library, Maps and Charts, News, People, Pirates and battles, Shipwrecks of Bonaire