Ladder Hill was initially known as Fort Hill, even though it was not initially fortified. It was first used by the East India Company as an execution ground with the gibbet visible from Jamestown for the moral edification of the population.
Ladder Hill initially held the name Fort Hill but wasn't fortified in its early days. The East India Company used it as an execution ground with a gibbet that could be seen from Jamestown to educate the local population on moral values.