We have noted with interest that there seems to be a lot of sprucing up and major renovations going on in St. Georges. One building that particularly caught our eye was The Perry Building on Higgs Wharf on west Water Street. Work carries on at a furious rate. It all started in 1697, when Samuel Stone owned the lot and built a storehouse there. After passing hands, it was sold to John James Tucker. Between 1818 and 1821, Tucker extended the property form its original coastline 47 feet south of Water Street and added 129 more feet in two successive wharf building episodes, until it jutted well into the harbour. Robert Higgs purchased the building in 1836. In 1841, he erected the building which now stands, using the old style, with living space above and store below. One a public path ran to the waters edge on the west side of the lot, but Higgs built a gate and a room above the alley to regulate access to the goods he had on the wharf. He died in 1862 at the age of 85 just as blockade running out of Bermuda was beginning during the American Civil War. In 1877 the house and wharf was sold to Albert Inglis for 1,000 pounds. He was a typical merchant whose wide ranging stock-in-trade included West Indian produce, postage stamps, fresh meat, general groceries and wholesale provisions. He was famous for his aerated water which he provided to military messes and taverns in the town, and for importing ice from Nova Scotia. In the early 20th century, Inglis operated the St. Georges Ice Company, which manufactured ice artificially in a shop located on the wharf.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 11:27:33 +0000
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