Bermuda's Architectural Heritage: St. George's -- Bermuda National Trust's Historic Buildings Book Project.

The second volume in the National Trust's projected architectural survey of Bermuda deals with what must surely be an architectural historian's dream -- the ancient town and parish of St. George's.

American doctoral candidate Michael Jarvis, who has written the text for this beautifully illustrated book, obviously thought so; after his initial visit here to participate in a student archaeological dig some six years ago, he is now, in the words of project manager Margie Lloyd, "unrivalled'' in his knowledge of the town that is recognised as the oldest, continuously occupied settlement in the English-speaking New World.

This has been achieved (with the help of a near-army of National Trust volunteer assistants) through a combination of systematic archaeological and archival research.

The reconstruction of the physical evolution of St. George's necessitated the awesome task of `record stripping' -- tracing records and deeds that even took the young historian's search as far afield as the Public Records Office in London.

The result is worth waiting for: The kaleidoscopic history of Bermuda's original capital, which played a not inconsiderable role in such events as the American War of Independence and then the Civil War, has ensured that architecture and history are inevitably and inextricably bound together.

Far from leaning too heavily on the architectural aspect, Jarvis has provided a wealth of historical and anecdotal information, `fleshing out' the people whose story this is. This should widely increase its appeal to the general reader.

Each chapter of the book has a separate theme, including an historical overview, and a particularly fascinating section on public buildings: The enormous historic span ranges from the Island's earliest forts, erected in 1612, to the Edwardian police station erected exactly 299 years later in 1911.

Tucked somewhere in between is the stately Town Hall; it comes as something of a surprise to learn the lower floor was designed for and held a vegetable, meat and fish market which opened for business in 1809.

`Pillars of the Community' include such edifices as St. Peter's Church which recorded a building on the present site soon after settlement, and the contrasting `military Victorian Gothic' of the Salvation Army Hall.

Waterfront buildings are given their own chapter, quite sensibly so for a town that was first and foremost a port.

Datewise, the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian influences are separately recorded, each era supplying such architectural wonders as the town's largest house, Whitehall (now sadly divided into apartments and crying out for some urgent `t.l.c' before it's too late), and the distinctive wooden verandah of the 19th century Old Homestead.

St. George's was a garrison town for nearly two hundred years of its history, as evidenced by the many forts (and magnificent Castle Island itself) that stand guard round the town's environs. The garrison hospital and chapel underline the town's importance, from the Imperial standpoint, throughout the 19th century.

For the lay reader, the section on `Early Vernacular Houses' is possibly the most fascinating, dealing as it does, with the very oldest buildings.

Among the many treasures are the Old Rectory, built in or around 1699, Fanny Fox's Cottage (c.1707), the old Mitchell House (1731), now the gracious setting for the St. George's Historical Society, and the splendid Globe Hotel (1700), today's National Trust Museum.

Exciting new discoveries are, inevitably, accompanied by information that deflates long-held traditions. One of these concerns Bridge House, traditionally named for a bridge that had supposedly crossed an adjacent stream.

Recent research, however, has placed that bridge on the opposite side of King's Square. Similarly, Carter House, long claimed to be Bermuda's oldest house, is now believed to date from the early 18th century.

This latter building is one of the few that survived the supreme sacrifice made by the people of nearby St. David's in World War II when much of their land (and houses) disappeared under an army of bulldozers to make way for the American air base.

One of the most interesting facts revealed in the course of research for this book is the surprisingly high number of buildings that were owned or occupied by black people prior to emancipation.

Robin Judah's splendid contemporary photographs are supplemented by an intriguing selection of archival pictures. Andrew Trimingham has brought his own considerable architectural knowledge to the brightly written captions and the book has been meticulously edited by David L. White.

It should be noted that, due to a printing error, one page of the index was omitted. A new index has now been printed and is included with each purchase.

Apart from this hiccup, the second volume is a gem of information -- and entertainment -- that should add immeasurably to our knowledge of Beremuda's remarkable architectural heritage.

`Bermuda's Architectural Heritage: St. George's' is issued in a limited hardback edition, available (in hard cover) for $100 from National Trust outlets, and a soft cover edition at $24.95 is on sale at stores throughout the Island.

Patricia Calnan Michael Jarvis OLD GEORGE -- Duke of York Street as it appeared in 1910, shows the Tower building on the left and Arcadia looming over the town. The Police station has not been built, but the Perinchief Building and York House grace the right side of the street.