Present-day Georgetown's collection of heritage buildings mostly dates to the late Victorian Era, when the town was at the height of its importance in the wooden shipbuilding industry. As one of the most important ports in the colony of Prince Edward Island, the port was selected in 1870 to be the eastern terminus of the Prince Edward Island Railway (PEIR). It also became a steamship terminal, with connections to the Intercolonial Railway on the mainland at Pictou, Nova Scotia. Georgetown's harbour was frequently the only port on the island that was usable during the winter months, because of prevailing wind and tide directions. (This was before the construction of the Canso Causeway altered sea ice patterns in the Northumberland Strait).