Turning one of Bermuda’s most significant historical structures into a state-of-the-art hub for Atlantic World Studies is a labour of love in the West End.
Because while there’s an exciting future in store for the former Casemates Barracks, the National Museum of Bermuda is determined that we don’t forget its culturally important past.
“Through a phased, multi-year effort NMB intends to repurpose the entire five-acre property for innovative and educational uses,” said Elena Strong, the executive director of NMB.
“To do this, we must save the buildings.”
And that’s what’s been happening for nearly two decades.
The buildings were originally the home of soldiers who manned the Royal Naval Dockyard’s fortifications and ammunition storehouses about two centuries ago.
They later served a variety of purposes, including housing the Scottish “Black Watch”, British military officers, Canadian Navy and incarcerating men as Bermuda’s maximum-security prison from 1961 to 1994.
Protecting history
However, after its abandonment 31 years ago, natural forces — wind, rain and invasive vegetation — wreaked havoc on the buildings.
But Ms Strong noted the Casemates complex has played a key role in two centuries of local and global history.
“The buildings and tunnels that comprise the site are exceptional records of 19th century architecture and military technology,” she explained.
“The thick limestone walls of the buildings are bomb-proof, and the casemated roofs were false targets for incoming attacks.”
Since 2006, the Museum has carried out pre-restoration work on the property, including clearing invasive vegetation and debris, and cleaning up via teams of community and corporate volunteers.
The buildings were documented using a 3-D laser scanner and secret tunnels, historic features and old roadways were archaeologically recorded; artwork on the walls of the buildings from the prison era were photographed and documented.
Injection of support
The Government of Bermuda transferred Casemates and its adjacent fortifications to the then Bermuda Maritime Museum in 2013.
This created the NMB, which is committed to historic preservation, saving Bermuda’s cultural assets and re-imagining derelict historic buildings as public resources.
Things stepped up last spring thanks to an injection of philanthropic support to the National Museum’s The Future of History Campaign.
Major work was carried out on the roof early last year. Since then, construction teams have been:
- pointing the roof parapet
- fixing chimneys
- adding roof access doors
- removing invasive plants from the building’s face
- adding new water overflows and drainage systems
- fixing damaged historic walls
- sealing up the building to allow drying out.
The Bermuda Project Management Limited is overseeing the work, which is carried out by Island Construction, Crisson Construction and Gray & Co.
Exciting future
The NMB is excited about the Atlantic World Studies plan and is engaged in a feasibility study and options analysis.
They plan to “generate and share new research findings and use its work to inform strategies and new approaches to tackle global issues”.
Ms Strong said: “Our vision is to establish a multi-disciplinary research institute partnering with universities, institutes and scholars to advance research in Atlantic World Studies.
“The intention is to foster an environment for transformative thinking and research on the 1,000 years of human interaction in the Atlantic World.”
It will mean more access to higher education for local and overseas undergraduate and graduate students pursuing social sciences, the humanities, the sciences and the arts, equipping them with the skills for new discoveries. It will also be a space for community learning and engagement.
“Operating under the umbrella of the National Museum of Bermuda it will cement Bermuda’s position as a global centre for fresh scholarship, collaboration and innovation,” Ms Strong said.
