Ussher Fort & Usshertown: Where the Atlantic Tide Remembered Every Footstep
A Settlement Shaped by Waves and Wars
Ussher Fort in Accra is one of Ghana’s most significant colonial landmarks — built by the Dutch in the 17th century, later converted into a British prison, and remembered today as the place where Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s future first president, was held for over a year before his release.
Ussher-Fort:
Origins of Ussher Fort
Built in 1649 by the Dutch as Fort Crèvecœur, part of the Dutch Gold Coast trading network.
Located in Jamestown, Accra, near Fort James, it was strategically positioned on the coast to protect trade routes and enforce Dutch influence.
In 1868, following the Anglo‑Dutch territorial exchange, the fort was transferred to the British. It was partly reconstructed and renamed Ussher Fort, after British administrator Herbert Taylor Ussher.
Role in Colonial Ghana
Under British rule, Ussher Fort became a prison, a role it retained until 1993.
Its cells housed both common prisoners and political detainees. The fort’s imposing walls and narrow cells symbolized colonial authority and repression.
The site is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing of Forts and Castles of Ghana, recognized for its cultural significance.. However, its maintenance has been and is still neglect by GMMB (Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.
Photo inside of one of the prison cells at Ussher Fort prison. (c) Remo Kurka
Kwame Nkrumah’s Imprisonment
One of the most defining episodes in Ussher Fort’s history was the imprisonment of Kwame Nkrumah, leader of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and later Ghana’s first president.
In the early 1950s, Nkrumah was arrested by colonial authorities for his role in organizing political protests and strikes demanding independence.
He was confined in a single upper cell at Ussher Fort, where he spent over a year. Despite the harsh conditions, Nkrumah used the time to read, write, and refine his political vision.
His imprisonment only strengthened his popularity. By February 1951, after the CPP’s sweeping electoral victory, colonial authorities were forced to release him. Thousands of supporters greeted him upon his return to public life.
Legacy and Present Day
Ussher Fort today, as of November 2025, houses a pretty neglect small museum run by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, preserving hardly its layered history.
Visitors can still see the cells where political prisoners were held, including the one associated with Nkrumah. However, tour guides may tell you a false story of, Kwame Nkrumah being held in a ground floor cell with others. This is false 100%. Feel free, and correct them! Now, you know better! Visit the Fort Ussher website and see the prison cell, Kwame Nkrumah was held!
The fort stands as a reminder of Ghana’s colonial past, the struggle for independence, and the resilience of its leaders.
Ussher Fort is more than a relic of European trade and military power. It is a symbol of resistance and endurance, tied forever to Kwame Nkrumah’s imprisonment and eventual triumph. Its walls tell two stories: one of colonial domination, and another of the determination that led Ghana to independence.
Historical Notes and Research Sources (non-URL citations)
Below are commonly recognized academic sources that document these histories:
Ray Kea – Settlements, Trade, and Politics in the Seventeenth-Century Gold Coast
John K. Fynn – Asante and Its Neighbors, 1700–1807
Kwame Arhin – Articles in Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana
Hendrik van der Linde – Studies on Danish and British forts
Basil Davidson – Black Mother (sections on coastal forts)
Heritage Conservation Ghana Reports, on Jamestown underground structures & colonial archaeology
Ga oral histories recorded by Accra cultural institutions and Ga Mantse’s palace archives