The White Horse Tavern on St. George's Square has long been a favourite restaurant and bar of locals and tourists.

During the 18th century settlers would come into the old port and moor theirboats close to the State House and the vicinity of the White Horse much as the modern yachts do today.

Mr. Christopher West has been the sole owner for four years and occasionally acts as `Town Crier'. He meets hundreds of tourists each week and the questions most posed to him are: How do you get to the best beaches? Where's the bus stop? How do I get the mini bus? Will you give us real money? (Meaning, U S currency).

Mr. West shared the history of this ancient property researched by the Bermuda National Trust.

Long ago around 1707 the property was one of six chosen by lot and given to merchants living on the main island, St. George's. John Dickinson, the fortunate owner, erected a structure in 1709.

The parish vestry accused Dickinson of encroaching on the Town Bridge Wharf while erecting a building on the lot and ordered him to pull it down. The merchant appealed to Governor Bennett who overruled the vestry on the grounds that Dickinson's building did not prejudice access to the bridge.

Dickinson's heirs sold the property to the Esten family about 1740. In 1782, John Esten received a grant to extend his wharf further south into the harbour.

In 1805 William Tucker bought the Esten House and extended the wharf another 12 feet further south.

The building was the ideal merchant's residence. It was centrally located for business right on King's Square with it's own wharf with ample retail and storage on the ground floor and living space above with a verandah which afforded views of the town.

During the War of 1812 Tucker handled over 200 captured vessels and their cargoes worth more than 600,000 pounds which netted him at least 15,000 pounds in commissions. Today's White Horse was used as a storehouse crammed with French and American prize goods.

Tucker became a wealthy man and in 1818 sold the Esten House to John Davenport, another merchant, who resided there in the 1820s until his death in 1857.

The Higinbothom brothers operated a drugstore known as "The Medical Hall'' on the site.

In 1929 William Frith purchased the property and converted it into a bar and hotel, expanding the building to the south on land reclaimed by Esten and Tucker from the harbour.

Frith's new White Horse Tavern opened in 1930 and has been a landmark ever since. It was extensively renovated in the mid 1960s and again in 1980 when another extension was made into the harbour.

Mr. West said that he would like for Tourism to help make the town square more tourist friendly by placing a gazebo on the square. Tourists would have a gathering place in the shade to relax.

"Additionally, if local commercial fishermen were allowed to dock down here, stern to dock and bow forward, it would create an old fashioned fish market.

"The fishermen could clean their catch dockside and sell it to the locals/restaurants while giving the tourists something to observe. This decision would be determined by the Corporation of St. George's.'' Local and visiting yachts people have mentioned to Mr. West the need for better utilisation of the wharf.

WHITE HORSE owner Chris West