> ISLAND TOUR STOPS

The Administrative Block is more than a century old. In those days all police came from New Providence. A large percentage of the police were West Indian men. Today Bahamian men and women have phased out the West Indians. The Police Barracks did not come until the 1960’s.

At the juncture of Dunmore Street to our right we have St. John’s Anglican Church, the oldest religious foundation in the Bahamas. It’s the pink and white building that dates back to 1768. The Loyalists worshipped here, as early as the mid-1700’s. The Eleutherian Adventurers came in 1647 and they migrated to Harbour Island and it is assumed that their descendents would have been living here when this church was erected.

To the right is The Landing, which is a popular resort where they serve French, Italian, American and Bahamian dishes. This site once held the home of prominent Bahamians such as Dr. Thomas W. Johnson, his parents and family. We will see a monument to the doctor along the way. This building dates back to the 1800’s. The first Miss Bahamas Mrs. Brenda Barry now operates the business here.
To our left is the original doctor’s residence, the white two-story wooden structure which dates back a century. Directly across is the mustard and white building where the old clinic and library, once were. The clinic used to be downstairs and the public library was upstairs for many years. Both facilities were relocated to a new site in 1992. Remind me to point them out to you later. The Fast Ferry offices are located downstairs.

Temperance Square

This square is named for the temperance movement of 1932. The yellow enclosure is the square, which is the property of the Methodist church behind us. It is called temperance square because of the law passed in the United States of America prohibiting the manufacturing and sale of intoxicating beverages. A wooden, two-story building stood here back then. Down stairs one Mr. William Monroe made sails for those ships I was telling you about earlier. It was a sail loft, which was an occupation back in the 1920’s. Up stairs was a pray room where men and women of all the denomination on the island met regularly to sing and pray for the prevailing of the temperance movement, hence temperance square.

Dr. Johnson was a native physician who studied medicine at Harvard College of Medicine. He specialized in the natural herbs. Dr. A. Johnson, M.D., J.P., served the island for many years as a doctor and Justice of The Peace (Notary Public). He was born on Bay and Church Street, – son of the late Dewees Johnson an Out Island Commissioner.

One of eight churches on the island – it is a part of The Bahamas Conference of The Methodist Church (BCMC), Rev. Dr. Kenris Carey is the President. The church is one of five in the North Eleuthera Region. Harbour Island Methodist Church is served by Rev. Marie Neill, a native of Lower Bogue, Eleuthera. Rev. Charles Sweeting, B.A. B.Sc. is the Regional Moderator with a home in Current, Eleuthera.

Native trees to the Bahamas usually grew no more than thirty feet high. This variety was imported from India during the nineteenth century as part of tree planting programs after devastating hurricanes, which ravaged parts of the Bahamas. The royal governor of the day sent out appeals throughout the British colonies for assistance. Trees like this one were donated from India and provide shade and an edible fruit. Locals make a source of the fruit boiled with sugar. The meat from the tamarind fruit is used in many international stake sources.

Here at the public cemetery they’ll be the last to let you down. The rooster says yes. Its named St. Catherine’s because more than a century ago one Ms. Catherine was drowned from a shipwreck and her body washed ashore on the beach and was interred here and the cemetery was named after her.

This bakery is situated on Dunmore/Crown Street, Harbour Island. A Bahamian/American owns it and they specialize in cakes and pastries.

The fast ferry you traveled on to Harbour Island is named after this son of the soil. In fact his grand son was the inspiration for the day-away experience you are enjoying. In days gone by this yard would have been full of hand made fish traps, fish baskets and dinghy boats. Bo Hengy was always busy making the tools of the fishing trade of yesteryear.

The Fisherman’s Dock is located at the foot of Pitt Street. This provides a haven for both the fishermen and farmers of Harbour Island. At the foot of the dock is a shelter for recreation where people congregate for chats and occasional cook outs.

The Church of God of Prophesy is situated on Duke Street. The Pastor of this denomination is Rev. Stanley Johnson.

This hall is situated on Pitt Street near Bay Street. It is the property of The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows.

Famous for its seafood and native dishes, this Bahamian owned restaurant is situated on Grant Street-Barracks Hill.

To our left is the community play ground where the school children hold their sports meets, the churches held crusades/revivals, community fairs and other fund-raising events. The Haitian community uses it to play football or soccer.

The tallest structure on the island is the storage tank for the city water supply. Running Water came to the island in 1942. It springs in wells on North Eleuthera Airstrip. Running water influenced the Tourist Trade. The Sea View Hotel and The Little Boarding House led the way for Briland.

The Narrows, as the name implies is “Narrow”, and is owned by a number of foreigners. Bahamians are employed as cooks maids, gardeners and caretakers. This particular area features residents and guests such as Super Model Elle McPherson, Wayne Huizinga, The Duke of Windsor and many other celebrities. Rumour has it that the world’s wealthiest man, Bill Gates made an offer to purchase a property in the Narrows. This offer was reported turned down.

This is a native spot that is situated on the north of the Island. It is a guest establishment, bar and restaurant. Seashell Inn is famous for its native food.

Here we have approximately three and a half miles of exceptional pink sand beach that famous the world over. As a matter of fact it was voted the number one beach in the world. The pink of the sand is due to a coral insect, which lives on the reefs (the devil’s backbone is one such reef), which has a pink body. After the insects die, the wave action crushes the bodies and washes the remains ashore and mixes it in with the sand. The pink stands out more in the wet sand at the water’s edge. Unlike other parts of the world the sand here is always cool, so you can walk about freely with bare feet.