Carter House

Carter House is thought to be one of the oldest Bermuda vernacular farmhouses in St David's, if not all of Bermuda, having survived for nearly three centuries in its original structure and shape. The house is now a museum dedicated to preserving the St. David's Islanders' unique culture and history. Whaling, piloting, fishing, boat construction, farming, and sailing are all represented at the museum by St. David's Islanders, their residences, and occupations. The house and the stories it holds beautifully portray the early life at St David's, which was impoverished but pleasant and wholesome.

Southside House was renamed Carter House after it was discovered that Martha Hayward, Christopher Carter's great-granddaughter, lived there until she died in 1791 at the age of 114! After surviving the Sea Venture wreck in 1609, Christopher Carter stayed on the island while the others traveled to Jamestown until his death in 1624, when he and his wife were killed by a gunpowder explosion on board the Sea Flower in Castle Harbour. The ship quickly sank. This shipwreck was never discovered. Carter House, ironically, stands exactly across from the accident scene, as if it were a memorial to the first Bermudian.

Discover how they were rediscovered in the 1950s and successfully repopulated on Nonsuch. Carter House was built on a well-chosen site, nestled into a hill facing southeast with a commanding view of the most accessible waterfront in the 1600s, complete with remarkable surviving early stone defenses dating from 1612. From the Carter House steps, you may still see this view, which remains mainly undisturbed.