Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas — Caribbean Region (Atlantic Ocean)

John Watling's Distillery

Nassau • Bahamas

Hand-Cut Well Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Diane Murphy, April 2024

1. Hand-Cut Well Marker

Inscription. Our hand-cut well measures 7.4ft in diameter and has a depth of 74 feet. It is carved from solid limestone and is reminiscent of the Queen's Staircase sculpted between 1793 and 1794 by "slaves from solid rock with axes and other sharp hand tools". It is assumed that the well was also sculpted by slaves between the inception of the Buena Vista House in 1789 and the enactment of the British Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. More than 4,000 cubic feet of rock were displaced during its construction and it contains 2 feet of fresh water.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1793.

Location. 25° 4.479′ N, 77° 20.946′ W. Marker is in Nassau, New Providence. It can be reached from the intersection of Delancy Street and Augusta Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 17 Meeting St, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas. Touch for directions.

Regionally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean,

in North America,

in the Western Hemisphere,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically,

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it finds itself in what was once a British colony.

Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 11 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Bahamas Memorial Cenotaph (approx. 0.9 kilometers away); Sir George Gamblin Memorial (approx. 0.9 kilometers away); The Bahamas Grant (approx. 0.9 kilometers away); Fort Fincastle (approx. 1.1 kilometers away); The Queen’s Staircase (approx. 1.2 kilometers away); The Caves (approx. 10.2 kilometers away).

Another marker is no longer nearby. Hand-Cut Well (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has replaced the linked marker.

Hand-Cut Well and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Diane Murphy, April 2024

2. Hand-Cut Well and Marker

Buena Vista House, site of the Hand-Cut Well and Marker image. Click for full size.

April 1, 2023

3. Buena Vista House, site of the Hand-Cut Well and Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 25, 2024, by Diane Murphy of Saint Cloud, Florida. This page has been viewed 202 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 18, 2024, by Diane Murphy of Saint Cloud, Florida. 3. submitted on May 26, 2023, by Diane Murphy of Saint Cloud, Florida. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.