real port throughout this period, St. George's factored considerably in Bermuda's contribution to U.S. development. During the American War of Independence, Bermudians stole much-needed gunpowder from a magazine, which supplied neighbouring the forts protecting St. George's, and then smuggled it out of Tobacco Bay (over the hill from St. George's) to George Washington. They also probably prolonged the American Civil War by ferrying supplies and munitions to the desperate Confederates, a trade that was based in St. George's.
Today, St. George's remains basically untouched by the economic boom that has shaped the capital Hamilton. Most of its buildings were constructed in the 17th to 19th centuries, and the authorities have made a deliberate effort both to prevent development, and to hide any signs of later changes. For example, power and telephone lines are underground, and the street lighting has a period style. Narrow streets such as Barber's Alley and Aunt Peggy's Lane remain just as they were centuries ago.
St. George's is no sterile relic, however; it is a living town, and its historic buildings function not only as museums but also as houses, restaurants, pubs and shops. At its centre lies King's Square, flanked by the Town Hall and the Visitors Service Bureau. There are replica stocks in the Square, and also a ducking stool, a replica of one that was once used to dump gossiping women into the harbour. Nowadays, local volunteers recreate this fantastic punishment.
Ordnance Island lies in St. George's Harbour, to the south of King's Square, and is reached by a small bridge. It holds a replica of the Deliverance (one of the two ships built by the shipwrecked settlers), and a life-size bronze statue of their commander, Sir George Somers, by Desmond Fountain.
Elsewhere around the town there are a multitude of historical sites such as the old State House (the first stone building in Bermuda, other than fortifications, built in 1620 to
