St. George, Bermuda
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St. George was the first settlement on the island of Bermuda, and is today the oldest continuously inhabited English-speaking settlement in the Western Hemisphere. It is now in large part a museum town.
St. George was first settled in 1612, three years after the first English settlers in Bermuda, who had been on their way to Virginia, landed on Bermuda after a shipwreck. Most built two new ships and continued their voyage, but the Virginia Company laid claim to the island; it then sent a party of 60 new settlers to Bermuda, who commenced construction of St. George.
This small town has considerable historical importance. Not only did it play a pivotal role in Bermuda's history (it was the capital until 1815), but it also helped shape that of the United States as well. During the American War of Independence, Bermudians stole much-needed gunpowder from forts protecting St. George, and then smuggled it out of Tobacco Bay (over the hill from St. George) to George Washington. They also probably prolonged the American Civil War by ferrying supplies and munitions to the desperate Confederates, a trade that was based in St. George.
Today, St. George remains basically untouched by the economic boom that has shaped the capital Hamilton. Most of its buildings were constructed in the 17th to 19th centuries, and the authorities have made a deliberate effort both to prevent development, and to hide any signs of later changes. For example, power and telephone lines are underground, and the street lighting has a period style. Narrow streets such as Barber's Alley and Aunt Peggy's Lane remain just as they were centuries ago.
St. George is no sterile relic, however; it is a living town, and its historic buildings function not only as museums but also as houses, restaurants, pubs and shops. At its centre lies King's Square, flanked by the Town Hall and the Visitors Service Bureau. There are replica stocks in the Square, and also a dunking stool, a replica of one that was once used to dump gossiping women into the harbour. Nowadays, actors recreate this fantastic punishment.
Ordnance Island lies in St. George's Harbour, to the south of King's Square, and is reached by a small bridge. It holds a replica of the Deliverance (one of the two ships built by the shipwrecked settlers), and a life-size bronze statue of their commander, Sir George Somers, by Desmond Fountain.
Elsewhere around the town there are a multitude of historical sites such as the Old State House (the first stone building in Bermuda, built in 1620, and today the oldest building on the island), the Unfinished Church, the Old Rectory, St. Peter's Church (the oldest Anglican church in the Western hemisphere), and the Bermuda National Trust Museum.
In 2000, the town was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List, and also is member of Organization of World Heritage Cities.
See also
External links
- Town of St. George (http://www.bermuda-island.net/INTRODUCTION/Geography/Town_of_St_George.php) Detailed info from Bermuda-Island.net
- Bermuda 4U (http://www.bermuda4u.com) - A comprehensive and independent guide to Bermuda