Georgestown: An Historic Corner of Old St. John's

Since the time of the first settlement, St. John’s has been scarred by fires, plundered and sacked by invaders and pirates, and had its share of civil strife, mutiny and rioting; but the fire of 1892 was the most devastating of all, as it wiped out 70 per cent of the city. It was through an act of God that the wind changed and Georgestown, the first of the strictly residential districts, and its adjacent neighbourhoods of Monkstown and Tubridstown escaped the conflagration. Wallace Furlong describes the history of this unique corner of St. John’s through its personalities and events. Down through the years, Georgestown played host to painters, conspirators and clergy, sailors, sealers and gentleman farmers. It was a lively suburb, with its athlete clubs, academies and private schools, churches and commercial establishments. In Georgestown lived Newfoundland’s greatest shipbuilder, Michael Kearney, master builder of ocean-going brigs, clipper barques and brigantines. It was also the home of Newfoundland’s first aviator, Sydney Bennett, and Captain Philip Cleary, master mariner at the age of 25, mining prospector, and advocate for seamen’s rights. Welcome to Georgestown ...