Bermuda - Cultural Destinations

By Smithsonian.com
Smithsonian.com, November 06, 2007

Bermuda is divided into nine parishes and two municipalities. The Town of St. George, in St. George Parish, is located on the northeastern tip of the island. St. George's was settled in 1612 served as Bermuda's capital until Hamilton assumed the role in 1815. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is the oldest English-speaking colonial town and the oldest continually inhabited English settlement in the Americas. A tangle of narrow alleys, St. George's is home to many historical houses and attractions, including Bermuda's oldest building, the Old State House, built in 1620. Also here is the Bermuda National Trust Museum in the Globe Hotel, built in 1700, which once housed the offices of Confederate agent Major Normal Walker during the American Civil War. St. George's Town Square contains replica stocks and pillory and a ducking stool, once used to punish gossips, and where live reenactments are regularly performed.

Bermuda has many historic, centuries-old homes, some of which are private and some of which are open to the public. Public homes include the Verdmont House, built in 1710. The Verdmont House is an example of early Georgian architecture and features a collection of antiques; herb, rose and fruit tree gardens; and a view of Bermuda's south shore. The Tucker House Museum, where Governor's Council president Henry Tucker lived with his family from 1775 to 1809, houses a collection of family heirlooms that includes silver, china and crystal and antique Bermuda cedar and English mahogany furniture.

Most of Bermuda's museums are dedicated to celebrating the archipelago's history. The Bermuda Historical Society, Museum, and Public Library traces Bermudian history through its collection of maps, portraits, coins, and other artifacts. The library's reference section contains an extensive, if not exhaustive, collection of books written about the archipelago as well as microfilm of Bermudian newspapers dating to 1784.

The Bermuda Maritime Museum is located within the Keep, Bermuda's largest fortress and the former citadel of the Royal Navy Dockyard. The Museum is comprised of eight historic exhibit buildings, including the recently restored 1827 Commissioner's House, which contains several exhibits exploring Bermudian history.

The St. George's Historical Society Museum, decorated as it was when it was a private home in the early 1700s, recreates Bermuda's earliest days with its period furniture and collection of artifacts.