𝑩𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒅𝒂 𝑶𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒔
What is the absolute must-see historic spot in the Olde Towne for a first-time visitor?
Simple question – tough to answer.
The UNESCO World Heritage status of St. George’s is full of historic venues stretching back to 1612. The status means that historic buildings cannot be altered in any substantial way unless a rigorous application process is gone through. Therefore, the buildings you see are completely genuine.
A quick run-through would include:-
The Town Hall – built in the 1770s – seat of the Corporation of St. George’s for their public meetings – right in the Town Square.
Tucker House – along Water Street – original home of Sir Henry Tucker who made a major contribution to the American War of Independence in 1775. Check out The Gunpowder Plot and Benjamin Franklin.
The Globe Museum – just around the corner from Town Square. Well worth a visit ($5 entry). It showcases the immense contributions Bermuda made to the American Civil War – more especially to the South.
St. Peter’s Church – the oldest Anglican Church in the world outside of England – originally built in 1612. A beautiful church immaculately preserved. Still very much a working church. Check out the “royal box” where for example Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip would worship each time they came to Bermuda (starting on their official overseas visit after she was crowned Queen in 1953).
The Old State House – although not open to the public – sat back up a short incline from Town Square, you can see the large white building at the top. Built in 1620 (the oldest building in Bermuda and one of the oldest buildings in the Western Hemisphere), it housed the first Parliament of Bermuda – immediately after the formation of the first Parliament in the Western Hemisphere – the House of Burgesses in Jamestown, Virginia (1619). Believed to be the oldest continuously working Parliament in the world – Westminster, London was formed beforehand, but Oliver Cromwell disbanded that Parliament in the late 1600s for a few months – hence not continuously working!! The building was gifted in perpetuity to a Scottish Freemasons Lodge (No. 200 on the Grand Roll of Scotland (chartered in 1797), in 1815 when the capital of Bermuda moved from St. George’s to Hamilton. Check out the annual Peppercorn Ceremony.
Mitchell House – built in 1731 as a private residence. See many varieties of original furniture, paintings, artefacts etc. This is the home of the St. George’s Historical Society from circa 1922. Entry fee of $5 but well worth a visit – check out the amazing kitchen and original cooking habits from those early days.
𝑾𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝑩𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒏 𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒂𝒎,
𝒄𝒐-𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝑩𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒅𝒂 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔.