St George tourist information
St George Bermuda
Meet an authentic living and working town, like its twinned Lyme Regis in Dorset, England. Many of its old stone buildings still stand today (built from models and drawings originally from England). They were built from Bermuda stone after 1619 for protection against elements and fires. Before that, they were thatched with palmetto. Most Bermuda stone premises hide their age very well. Their external British Bermudian architecture has not varied much in 380 years.
The town has remained a port, residential and trading center. It was Bermuda's original official capital until 1815. Many properties have remained in the same families. The town is populated by individuals whose ethnicity and heritage are mostly African Bermudian, not European Bermudian. This is why, in 2001, a poll on political independence indicated that more than 51 percent favor independence from Bermuda over remaining a self-governed British colony or British Overseas territory.
Traditions with Lyme Regis include an annual darts match. A waterfront promenade will soon extend to both ends. The eastern section of Water Street, between King's Square and Customs House Square was opened on April 30, 1999. Cobblestones were imported from Wales (as none were available from local materials in Bermuda) and decorative lights and tree planters were added. The work was funded in part by the Bermuda Government's Ministry of Works and Engineering and the Centennial Trust of the Bank of Bermuda Ltd. There are also a Town Gateway, Town Center Gateway, heraldic signs and a small new public garden. In places to stay, one opened in 1982 as Bermuda's first timeshare resort and small hotel.
An historic house. It was built by Dr. The Honorable George Forbes, originally from Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland and an emigrant to Bermuda, by then a Councilor and member of the Executive Council of the Bermuda Government. In 1759, he also purchased Paget Island - then called Paget Ford Island and 36.35 acres - in St. George's Parish for sixty pounds sterling.
Modern and a bank, built in the 1970s after a former grocery store was demolished. But the present parking lot is believed to be rich in history. Modern maps don't say that in the town's earliest years - dating back to when Governor Richard Moore began it, was the first Government House in Bermuda - dwelling of the Governor and seat of the British colony. It was noted by Nathanial Butler, Governor 1619-22, as a handsome house built of wood, in the shape of a cross. It was demolished by Samuel Harvey in 1693 after being in disrepair since 1685. When built, it was on part of a sea inlet - no longer there. When the second Government House was built in 1699 nearby by Governor Samuel Day, the area that housed the original Government House became a garden for the second Government House - later, the Globe Hotel. In those days and until 1815, St. George's was the capital of Bermuda. The area may have degenerated into waste land until the 1930s, when John Smith built a grocery shop on the site.
St George aerial map
Please click on any icon on the St George aerial tourist map, to find close by places, offering hotels and tourist information. You can zoom in and zoom out our touristical map as well as switch between satelite and map view of St George.
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