Old State House

Built in 1620, the old State House, also known as the old Session House, is the oldest structure and is one of the most beautiful historical sites in Bermuda. It was also the first structure in Bermuda to be constructed entirely of limestone. The St. George building was previously the Parliament House, where cabinet sessions were held on a regular basis until 1815. Bermuda's capital was moved to Hamilton the next year. To bind the limestone stones of the construction, turtle oil and lime were employed as mortars. In 1620, Governor Nathaniel Butler assumed that Bermuda had the same latitude as Italy and that the island's temperature would be similar to that of Italy, so the structure should be of Italian architecture. His plan was to start a Bermudian housing and building style trend.

As a result, the parliament house was constructed with a flat roof. Fortifications were the primary reason for the use of stones. However, the weather in Bermuda and Italy is radically different. Bermuda has a lot more rain than the rest of the world. As a result of water clogging the flat surface, which regularly resulted in water seepage through the porous limestone blocks, the flat roof began to become a major issue. For obvious reasons, subsequent Bermudian structures did not follow this flat roof architecture. The gabled limestone roofs, which diverted rainwater to the gutter and down into the water tanks, were popular. Because fresh water is scarce in Bermuda, most Bermudian families rely on this method to store water.