Unfinished Church, St George's
| Unfinished Church | |
 | |
|---|---|
 The Unfinished Church | |
| Location: | 32°23’1"N, 64°40’36"W |
| Built 1874 | |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | Anglican Church of Bermuda |
The Unfinished Church is a grand, Gothic church in St George's, the old capital of Bermuda, which (as the name suggests) was never finished. It stands by the meeting of Government Hill Road, Slippery Road and the appropriately named Church Folly Lane.
The church was begun by the Diocese of Bermuda, and still belongs to the Anglican Church of Bermuda. It is maintained however by the Bermuda National Trust.
History
In 1874, St Peter's Church in St George's was badly damaged by a storm. It was feared that the church, the oldest in the New World, could not be saved and so work began on a brand new church, under the direction of the architect William Hay of Edinburgh, on the site of what had been the Governor's House.
However it was not to be: parishioners preferred to repair their old church rather then discard it and built afresh at great expense. At this point also part of the congregation broke away as the 'Reformed Episcopal Church' and built their own new church. The bigger blow came in 1883, when Holy Trinity Church in Hamilton (another of Hay's churches) was ravaged by fire, and funds went to repair it in preference. Holy Trinity was to become Bermuda's cathedral.
In 1897, at last, the new church though still incomplete, received its roof. No more work was carried out though. Then in 1926, the roof was ripped off by a hurricane.
The church today
The Unfinished Church remains a romantic ruin. Work has been done to stabilise the structure. It is now a popular attraction.
Outside links
- The Unfinished Church: Bermuda Attractions
- What Happened to the Unfinished Church in Bermuda?
- The Unfinished Church - YouTube