Verdmont
| Verdmont | |
 | |
|---|---|
 Verdmont | |
| Address: | 6 Verdmont Lane, off Collectors Hill |
| Built around 1710 | |
| Information | |
| Website: | Verdmont Historic House and Gardens |
Verdmont is a eighteenth century plantation house in Smith's Parish in Bermuda. Architecturally it is one of the most fascinating old houses in Bermuda, and it is today it is operated as a museum in the care of the Bermuda National Trust.
The house is built in a rare transitional style, retaining some of the aspects of 17th century dwellings, while anticipating the classicism of the Georgian mansions of the 18th century. Rare too is its having remained almost unchanged structurally for 300 years.
The house is listed as part of Bermuda's "African Diaspora Heritage Trail", part of UNESCO's Slave Route Project.[1]
History
left|thumb|200px|Slave quarters In the 17th century, before the house was built, the property belonged to John Sayle, who left Bermuda for South Carolina and became its first governor.
Verdmont, the house standing toady, was built by John Dickinson who was a shipowner and was the speaker of Bermuda's House of Assembly from 1707 to 1710.[2] Among its later owners was the painter and judge John Green. Dickinson owned six slaves, lodged in the house, though by the end of the century the new owner had fourteen slaves.
The house has four large chimneys and contains collections of antique Bermuda cedarwood furniture, Bermuda portraits, and English and Chinese porcelain.[3]
Displays
The house contains an extensive collection of antiques including Bermuda-made cedar furniture, portraits, British and Chinese porcelain and a child's nursery.
The attic, or garret, on the third floor currently houses the display "Verdmont: A House and Its People", which describes the architecture of the house and tells the story of those who lived here, and those who worked here too. It includes a small archaeological exhibit.
Gardens
The gardens contain an assortment of herbs, old roses and fruit trees and other plants cultivated in the 18th century.[4][3]
Th gardens provide a sweeping view of South Shore, which is a spectacular vista.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Verdmont) |
- Museum website
- Verdmont at 50, special edition of Trust News, Bermuda National Trust, 2007.
References
- ↑ "African Diaspora Heritage Trail". African Diaspora Heritage Trail. http://www.gotobermuda.com/uploadedFiles/GetHere/MapsAndBrochures/SubContent/ADHT.pdf. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
- ↑ Darwin Porter; Danforth Prince (2011). Frommer's Bermuda 2012. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 224. ISBN 9781118141465. http://books.google.com/books?id=aFXGI8us4QwC&pg=PT134#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 15 February 2013. p. 134
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Museums & Historic Buildings, Verdmont". Bermuda National Trust. http://www.bnt.bm/Places_to_Visit/verdmont_museum.php. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
- ↑ "Museum Register". http://www.museumregister.com/bermuda/verdmont.html. Retrieved 14 February 2013.