Grenada’ s Capital, St. George’ s researched and submitted by Neil Niles, Vice President of the Grenadian Cultural Association of British Columbia
St. George’ s, the capital of Grenada, has one of the most beautiful harbours in the Caribbean. It is a perfect horseshoe shape which makes it undoubtedly a most picturesque sight.
Grenada’ s oldest fort, Fort George, is the centerpiece of the St. George’ s skyline together with the Butler House ruins overlooking Port Louis and Mount Pandy Beach.
St. George’ s was established in 1650 by the French after“ La Grenade”( Grenada) was purchased by Jacques Dyel Du Parquet, the governor of Martinique. A wooden fortification was constructed by French colonist overlooking St. George’ s harbor which was named Fort Royal but when the island was ceded to great Britain by the treaty of Paris in 1763, Fort Royal was renamed Fort George, after King George III.
The city of St. George’ s was burnt to the ground a few times in its history. The first was in 1609 when it was set ablaze by the native Amerindians. In 1771 and 1775 during slave uprisings it was subjected to the same fate. Again, in 1954, the“ Williamson Fire”, attempted to turn St. George’ s to ashes but fortunately that fire was extinguished before any extensive damage was sustained.
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