Sometimes we see a historical monument so much that we might take it for granted and think to ourselves, “just a historical landmark”. However, this does not hold true for the magnificence of St. Peter’s Church, truly one of the most impressive architectural features of St. George’s World Heritage Site located on Duke of York Street.

St. Peter’s is the oldest Protestant church in continuous use in the New World. On this location, in the centre of the historic town of St. George, the people of the community have gathered for worship since the founding of the town in 1612.

The present stone church replaced the earlier wooden church that was destroyed by a hurricane in 1712. The original Jacobean communion table (the oldest piece of Bermudian cedar woodwork), the unusual three deck pulpit and other fittings were salvaged. A large number of the original timbers were also incorporated into the new building.

The surrounding historic graveyard is the last resting place for many generations of gentry and commoners, governors and slaves, privateers and statesmen of Bermudian, British and American birth. Inside the Church the walls are covered with memorials to many men and women significant in the history of Bermuda and Western Atlantic settlement.

The church’s oldest bible is dated 1594 and the earliest communion ware is the St. George’s Chalice given to the church by the Bermuda Company in 1625, in the reign of Charles I. Another set was given to the church by William III in 1697. The Bishop’s throne dates from the 18th century.

With the flag of St. George waving over the town from its tower, St. Peter’s has been at the heart of the community for almost four hundred years.

Generations of townspeople have looked to its clock for the time of day and its bell has called the people of the parish to worship.

It has also announced other important events such as the declaration of the emancipation of slaves on August 1, 1834.

The church was also the meeting place of the first Parliament of Bermuda, held August 1, 1620 and has continued to b e a special place of important community events such as the annual Remembrance Sunday Service.

St Peter’s is a cultural and spiritual icon, at the very heart of Bermuda’s roots and an integral part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Town of St. George.