As we move into the height of summer, who would have thought that we would consider ourselves lucky to be enjoying temperatures of just 30°/32°C while Europe has sweltered recently at over 40°C? 

Climate change is here and now. Each of us needs to be doing our personal best to reduce our carbon footprint and speak out against the loss of green space that helps keep our island cool. If you want to help BNT with its advocacy and tree planting, please sign up as a volunteer or donate to our annual appeal.

Let’s also be thankful that our beautiful home enjoys sea breezes, and we are never far from the sea if we want to take a refreshing dip. 

The BNT office at Waterville will be closed from Wednesday 27 July for the holiday weekend and will reopen on Monday 1 August. 

Happy Cup Match everyone!

Karen Border

Executive Director

At the AGM held at Government House on 30 June 2022, the following members were elected to serve on the Council of the Bermuda National Trust:

• Alana Anderson - President 
• Mark Orchard – Vice President
• Stephen Kuzyk - Treasurer
• Stratton Hatfield
• Robin Mayor
• Linda O’Shea
• Tim Rogers
• William White

The Government appointees are:

• Meredith Ebbin
• Michael Leverock
• Mariette Savoie

The BNT Annual Report 2021 is now available on our website bnt.bm – download here.

Expanded opening for BNT museums

BNT is expanding our museum hours and tours thanks to generous donors and volunteers.

A grant from the Bermuda Tourism Authority and Bermuda Economic Development Corporation, jointly applied for via the St. George’s Stakeholders Group, has made it possible for BNT to hire a part-time museum operator during the busy summer season. Larry Sticca, a St. George’s resident and Certified Tourism Ambassador, who previously volunteered hundreds of hours for BNT, will be working at the Globe and Tucker House.

New volunteer Karla Carvajal joins Tiffany Banner, Peter Frith and David Walker to help us expand access to our World Heritage museums and to maximise gift shop sales and donations that support the Trust’s heritage mission.

Sisters Hollyanne and Candace Shirley and Smith’s Parish friends Suzanne Carvalho and Shirley Clark have taken on opening up Verdmont on Saturdays, so that visitors and locals can visit the centrally-located historic house and gardens.

If you are interested in volunteering at Verdmont, Globe or Tucker House museums for a sustained period of time please email charlotte.andrews@bnt.bm

Plough Day Celebration

On 11 July BNT joined other World Heritage Site stakeholders in putting on a special cultural tourism programme in St George’s celebrating the arrival of Bermuda’s first permanent settlers on the same day in 1612. Globe and Tucker House opened for free alongside other attractions, tours and reenactments.

The Minister of Youth, Culture & Sport The Hon. Dr. Ernest Peets and some forty other folks came to Globe museum to hear Dr. Michael Jarvis’ live lecture ‘The 1612 Moment: St. George’s and the Dawn of Bermuda’.

Sold!

Here’s an update on a carefully considered deaccession from the Trust’s collection. The enormous portrait of the 3^rd Earl of Pembroke (1580-1630) by Daniel Mytens and Studio was sold by Sotheby’s for £50,400 in the July Old Master's Sale. The net proceeds will only be used for museums and collections purposes.

BNT thanks the Sotheby’s team, our Museums & Collections Committee, and Council for all their help with the deaccession and sale.

Archlyn Villa

This is part of a series of architectural articles by the Bermuda National Trust to highlight some of Bermuda's endangered historic buildings.



by Linda Abend and Margie Lloyd

Hiding behind a high wall on St John’s Road is a house with a lot of social history. Built in 1826 by mariner John Gibson, it was advertised for sale by public auction in 1833 to pay off his creditors. Described as “that handsome and well-built dwelling house with a good and large tank”, the original section of the house has neo-classical symmetry and impressive corner pilasters. There were several interim owners until 1871 when the house on one acre appears in Benjamin William Watlington’s estate. After a family dispute caused by the disappearance of his will, the house was transferred in 1917 to Benjamin’s son, dentist Dr Francis William Watlington. It was then named Virginia Manor after Frank’s American wife, Virginia Harrison. They lived in the Fairylands area and the house was often tenanted by officers for nearby Admiralty House, among them Commander Lyson of the Royal Navy who was secretary to Admiral Sir Michael Seymour. The close proximity to the Hamilton Golf Links on North Shore also added to its appeal. After Watlington’s death in 1941 there were two subsequent owners until 1953 when the house was purchased by Archibald and Lillian Minors.

The Minors had married in 1934 and in 1944 they started the Archlyn Villa guest house out of their home in St George’s catering to Black tourists, many of whom were friends from their time studying in the US, who wanted to visit Bermuda but were not welcome in the island’s hotels in the era of segregation. In 1953, desiring a more central location, the Minors bought Virginia Manor, added eight bedrooms with baths and opened the new Archlyn Villa. 

Click here to read the full article.

Three museums' bathrooms have had work carried out to them this year by the maintenance team of Allan, Duane and Jeremy. The Verdmont and Tucker House bathrooms have had facelifts while Globe Hotel had all its cast iron pipes replaced with PVC. 

The last of the Bridge House carpentry works by CNC Carpentry has been completed with the installation of a new entry gate.

Waterville’s exterior new historic paint colour Bermuda Swizzle has been applied and the job of painting the exterior of Waterville is coming to an end. The education room has had new LED lights installed and the walls, doors and bathrooms have received a fresh coat of paint.  Next on the agenda to upgrade the exterior walls with historic paint will be Springfield.

BNT has held four very successful, fun camps so far this summer, for students from 8-12 years old.

Time Travellers’ camp saw the children travelling back in time to learn about some of the world’s ancient cultures, as well as Bermuda’s early settlers. One of the highlights was a visit to Carter House, where they met Governor Richard Moore, played by Richard Spurling, and undertook a treasure hunt. They planted an Olivewood tree and met Larry Mills who talked to them about the ‘Settler’s Cabben’ and made native American corn dolls.

Bermuda’s Natural Wonderland campers explored the island from east to west, taking in Cooper’s Island, Spittal Pond, Southlands and Vesey Nature Reserve. They had enormous fun whilst exploring and learning about Bermuda’s natural heritage. By the end of the week, they were able to identify over 40 species of native, endemic and invasive plants and animals.

Our ‘Dirt Diggers’ camp introduces young people to the principles and practices of archaeology. The highlight of the week was a visit to the Smith’s Island dig being led by Mike Jarvis. On site, the campers were shown how to identify soil layers, dig with trowels, and sift soil to identify artifacts that in some cases were more than 400 years old. The kids split into groups and worked alongside Smith’s Island Archaeology Project excavators who explained what they were doing.

For Cup Match week we held a three-day Fabulous Food camp. Monday’s theme was “bread and bowl” and the children hand baked crusty white bread and made delicious vegetable soup. On “cheesy Tuesday” they made cheese & onion scones and healthy pizzas, and on the last day of camp they will make sweet treats including granola bars, brigadeiros and lemonade. They have gone home happy and well fed each day!

Trustworthy Gift Shop at the Globe Hotel

Open 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays

You’ll find lots of great gift ideas at Trustworthy – locally made items, Bermuda National Trust merchandise, Bermuda cedar, cards, books, ceramics, candleholders, ornaments, games and much more. Trustworthy is run by volunteers and the proceeds go directly towards preserving Bermuda’s natural and cultural heritage.

The Bermuda National Trust | bnt.bm