Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ST. GEORGE'S PARISH
A great way to explore this historic town is by following the “The Best of Bermuda in
1 Day” tour in chapter 3.
The Town of St. George
King's Square,
also called Market Square and King's Parade, is the center of life in
St. George. It holds the colorful
White Horse Tavern
(p. 122), where you may want
to stop for a drink after your tour of the town.
The street names in St. George evoke its history. Petticoat Lane (sometimes called
Silk Alley) reputedly got its name when two newly emancipated slaves paraded up
and down the lane rustling their colorful new silk petticoats. Barber's Lane is also
named for a former slave. It honors Joseph Hayne Rainey, a freedman from the Caro-
linas who fled to Bermuda during the Civil War aboard a blockade runner and worked
as a barber. After the war, he returned to the United States and was elected to Con-
gress, becoming the first black member of the House of Representatives during
Reconstruction.
The St. George branch of the
Visitors Information Centre
is on King's Square
(
&
441/297-1642
); it's open Monday through Saturday 9am to 5pm. Here you can
get a map, transportation passes for the bus and ferry, and other information before
setting out to explore. The bureau is to the right of the Town Hall, on the waterfront.
If you're pressed for time, don't worry that you're missing out if you skip interior
visits to the sights listed below. The entire town of St. George, with its quaint streets
and old buildings, is the attraction, not just one particular monument. If you have
time to visit only one attraction's interior, make it St. Peter's Church. Otherwise, just
wander around, do a little shopping, and soak in the atmosphere.
To reach these attractions, take bus no. 1, 3, 8, 10, or 11 from the City of Hamilton.
The Bermuda National Trust Museum
This was once the Globe Hotel, head-
quarters of Maj. Norman Walker, the Confederate representative in Bermuda. Today,
it houses relics from the island's involvement in the American Civil War—from a
Bermudian perspective. St. George was the port from which ships carrying arms and
munitions ran the Union blockade. A replica of the Great Seal of the Confederacy is
fitted to a Victorian press so that visitors can emboss copies as souvenirs. There's also
a video presentation,
Bermuda: Centre of the Atlantic,
tracing the island's early history.
At the Globe Hotel, King's Sq.
&
441/297-1423.
www.bnt.bm. Admission $5 adults, $2 children 6-18,
free for children 5 and under. Combination ticket to all three Trust Museums (Bermuda National Trust
Museum, Tucker House, Verdmont) $10. Mon-Sat 10am-4pm. Closed Dec 25 and Good Friday.
Bridge House Gallery
This long-established gallery displays antiques and col-
lectibles, old Bermudian items, original paintings, and Bermuda-made crafts. It
contains a studio belonging to Jill Amos Raine, a well-known Bermudian watercolor
artist. The house, constructed in the 1690s, was home to several of the colony's gov-
ernors. Its most colorful owner was Bridger Goodrich, a Loyalist from Virginia, whose
privateers once blockaded Chesapeake Bay. So devoted was he to the king that he
sabotaged Bahamian vessels trading with the American colonies.
1 Bridge St.
&
441/297-8211.
Free admission. Wed and Sat 10am-6pm.
Carter House (St. David's Island Historical Site)
Set on a hillside about
1.5km (1 mile) east of Swing Bridge, Carter House is believed to be the oldest dwell-
ing place on St. David's Island, at least 3
1
⁄
2
centuries old. Reopened in September
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