Georgestown Neighbourhood Association

Georgestown is located in central St. John's (Ward 2) and borders the downtown area. Although commercial trade once dominated this part of the city, today it's predominantly a residential neighbourhood. Residents of the community are as diverse as the vibrantly-coloured homes in which they live. The density of housing also gives the community an urban close-knit feel. In recent years, the neighbourhood has become an increasingly attractive place in which to live because of its proximity to downtown, Bannerman Park, Memorial University, grocery shopping and other amenities. It's hard not to step outside in Georgestown without bumping into someone you know!
Early History:

Georgestown is naturally steeped in history, being a vibrant part of what many consider to be the oldest European-settled city in North America.

Former field west of Barnes Rd c.1900

By the late 1700s, St. John's was a bustling little British settlement, yet all that existed beyond Military Road was the rugged treeless terrain known as "the barrens" and some rudimentary farmland. This changed in 1818 after townspeople, weary from two devastating fires within a month, began searching for someplace new in which to settle - and away from the hazardous densely concentrated wooden homes of St. John's.

According to historians, construction began a few short years later on property owned by Mr. George Winter. The stretch of Fleming Street from Donnelly's Lane to Belvedere Street constituted the beginnings of Georgestown. A piece of land that lay between early Georgestown and Fort Townsend became the site of a secondary settlement known as Tubridstown in 1840 after James Tubrid one of the first settlers here. This early tiny community is today bound by Mullock Street, Hayward Avenue, The Dardanelles, and Barnes Road.

Years later, the great fire of 1849 in downtown St. John's renewed yet more interest in relocation beyond Military Rd. This time, an entrepreneur named James Tobin (of Monkstown, Ireland) purchased land in the area that he called "Monkstown Meadows" in order to build homes. This neighbourhood included Hayward Avenue, James (later Mullock) Street, Monkstown Road, William Street and Catherine Street (the latter two named after his children).

That Georgestown was spared by a huge downtown fire in 1892 led to the community to experience its biggest building boom. One final tract of land owned by the Roman Catholic Church - the area bordered by Barnes Road, James (Mullock) Street, Bonaventure Avenue and Howley Avenue - remained open fields (see image) until the 1930s when many of the homes on the street were built. The original Georgestown, Tubridstown and Monkstown rapidly filled up with new home construction over the decades and eventually gave rise to what is simply known as Georgestown today.

What's in a name: Georgestown or Georgetown?

Take a short walk and you'll notice there's a "difference of opinion" in the spelling of the name of the neighbourhood. The Georgestown Bakery is just down the street from the Georgetown Pub. The alternate spellings and pronunciations have been cause for some debate. So which is it? The 19th century landowner, Mr. George Winter, is at the centre of this question. The neighbourhood partially sits on what was once The Winter Estate. When residential construction began in the 1800's, the new cluster of houses was colloquially referred to as "George's Town". At least that's one explanation. Yet an old map in the City of St. John's Archives showing details of the plots on Mr. Winter's property is clearly titled "George Town 1845". Still another account states that Monkstown Road was once known as "Georgestown Road". So either George or George's is acceptable.

Further Reading:

Furlong, Wallace:
Georgestown: An Historic Corner of Old St. John's, Flanker Press 2004.

Financial Times: A Diamond in the Rough