thedrifter
01-21-09, 08:23 AM
Article published January 20. 2009 01:29PM
Old marine barracks found at Casemates
By Tauria Raynor
Volunteer archaeological digging discovered the basement floor of an old building, which was once part of the Casemate Barracks, buried under nearly 50 years of rubble.
The Casemate Barracks is the second oldest building in dockyard after Commissioner's House. Started in the late 1830s, it housed the soldiers of the Royal Marines Light Infantry.
From the early 1960s until 1994, the building served as the cellblock of Casemates Prison, Bermuda's maximum-security jail.
The Lower Ordnance Yard fronts the main road into Dockyard and it was there that a high concrete block security wall was erected in the early 1960s concealing the discovery.
Restoring the site back to its original state, hopes to make for a public facility open to the public as a heritage and tourism site. Last Saturday the security wall was torn down in preparation for road widening for Pender Road to make it suitable for two-way traffic.
Director of the Museum, Dr. Edward Harris said: "Archaeological work was then undertaken below the level of the courtyard, once the prison wall was removed.
"Within an hour, the lower part of the original boundary wall of the Lower Ordnance Yard was located, as well as the south wall of a building that abutted the boundary wall.
"Investigation of the wall showed that it was part of a basement storey of a building that was attached to the boundary, about which nothing was known until discovered last Saturday."
He said that the upper part of the building was demolished, probably in the early 1900s and the basement room was filled with the rubble and covered by a slab of concrete.
It was evidence that the site was a basement room when they discovered a vent and grill, which was used for ventilation on the side of the structure.
"We will resume the digging this weekend and expect to find windows and other evidence under the rubble." he said.
The two pillars which is part of the security gate erected in the 1830s is also amongst the construction as the left pillar will be taken apart piece by piece and rebuilt farther to the left to make way for two-way traffic.
Dr. Harris said: "The pillars are being slowly chewed away by large vehicles so we are widening the road to protect them."
The work on the pillar is scheduled to be completed by next month.
The area of the historic dockyard known as Casemates is made up of three major buildings and the fortifications of the Land Front, facing towards Somerset.
The two other large buildings are in the Upper and Lower Ordnance Yards and were constructed in the 1840s.
Dr Harris added: "The area defined by the basement room wall and the courtyard boundary was open to the air for a number of years.
"Once the upper storey of the building was demolished, a circular drainage well was built into the space, and the area subsequently backfilled with large stones.
"Evidence was also found to the north of the boundary wall of the original configuration of the road to Commissioner's House, complete with land drains on either side of that highway."
Also in the works, as part of the restoration, is the original road, which ran onto the Commissioner's House via the great Northwest Rampart on the western side of the dockyard property.
Archaeological work will continue by volunteers of the Bermuda Maritime Museum and is expected to be complete near April of this year.
Ellie
Old marine barracks found at Casemates
By Tauria Raynor
Volunteer archaeological digging discovered the basement floor of an old building, which was once part of the Casemate Barracks, buried under nearly 50 years of rubble.
The Casemate Barracks is the second oldest building in dockyard after Commissioner's House. Started in the late 1830s, it housed the soldiers of the Royal Marines Light Infantry.
From the early 1960s until 1994, the building served as the cellblock of Casemates Prison, Bermuda's maximum-security jail.
The Lower Ordnance Yard fronts the main road into Dockyard and it was there that a high concrete block security wall was erected in the early 1960s concealing the discovery.
Restoring the site back to its original state, hopes to make for a public facility open to the public as a heritage and tourism site. Last Saturday the security wall was torn down in preparation for road widening for Pender Road to make it suitable for two-way traffic.
Director of the Museum, Dr. Edward Harris said: "Archaeological work was then undertaken below the level of the courtyard, once the prison wall was removed.
"Within an hour, the lower part of the original boundary wall of the Lower Ordnance Yard was located, as well as the south wall of a building that abutted the boundary wall.
"Investigation of the wall showed that it was part of a basement storey of a building that was attached to the boundary, about which nothing was known until discovered last Saturday."
He said that the upper part of the building was demolished, probably in the early 1900s and the basement room was filled with the rubble and covered by a slab of concrete.
It was evidence that the site was a basement room when they discovered a vent and grill, which was used for ventilation on the side of the structure.
"We will resume the digging this weekend and expect to find windows and other evidence under the rubble." he said.
The two pillars which is part of the security gate erected in the 1830s is also amongst the construction as the left pillar will be taken apart piece by piece and rebuilt farther to the left to make way for two-way traffic.
Dr. Harris said: "The pillars are being slowly chewed away by large vehicles so we are widening the road to protect them."
The work on the pillar is scheduled to be completed by next month.
The area of the historic dockyard known as Casemates is made up of three major buildings and the fortifications of the Land Front, facing towards Somerset.
The two other large buildings are in the Upper and Lower Ordnance Yards and were constructed in the 1840s.
Dr Harris added: "The area defined by the basement room wall and the courtyard boundary was open to the air for a number of years.
"Once the upper storey of the building was demolished, a circular drainage well was built into the space, and the area subsequently backfilled with large stones.
"Evidence was also found to the north of the boundary wall of the original configuration of the road to Commissioner's House, complete with land drains on either side of that highway."
Also in the works, as part of the restoration, is the original road, which ran onto the Commissioner's House via the great Northwest Rampart on the western side of the dockyard property.
Archaeological work will continue by volunteers of the Bermuda Maritime Museum and is expected to be complete near April of this year.
Ellie