Carter House is one of the oldest homes in Bermuda built in 1640 by the descendants of Christopher Carter. So who was Carter? George Somers was the first who started the British colonization in Bermuda in 1610. When he started his sail towards Jamestown from Bermuda, he asked three men to stay back to continue the British claim of Bermuda. Carter was one of those who stayed back. So why Carter out of the three who became so well known?
Carter was actually a rogue of a kind. He along with the other two found a huge amount of Ambergris on the shore. Ambergris is a waxy substance that is secreted by sperm whales. It was earlier used in making perfumes and was supposed to be very expensive.
When the three men found such a huge quantity of Ambergris that was washed ashore, they decided to smuggle it back to England. However on the final day when they all got into the boat, Carter lost confidence and instead handed over his two mates to Governor of Bermuda putting the entire blame on them.
So Carter survived and finally settled in Coopers Island in Bermuda. His descendants later built this house known as the Carter House in Bermuda. In 1700s, Carter’s great grand daughter Martha Hayward lived in the house for many years. The building is made of Bermuda stone. Upper floor can be reached by an outside staircase as you can see in the picture. There are large chimneys on the sides. It is a great example of Bermuda’s old vernacular architecture.
Bus Route: #6
(Carter House is located at the former U.S. naval base at St David’s of St. George Parish)
