Living Links: Alexandrina Hall & Swan Building
[written by Larry Burchall]
Living Links appear in unexpected places. Standing on the hillside on the Court Street side of the House of Assembly grounds and looking east, you can see a living link between Bermuda’s heritage and past, and Bermuda’s present and future.
On that hillside, looking east, the closest and biggest building that you see is the blue and white two storey Alexandrina Hall. This grand building was completed in 1852 by the members of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows. The building was erected on land that they had purchased, and it was designed and built in the traditional Bermuda way by the Lodge members.
While that seems normal, the concealed but most interesting and perhaps most important fact is that these owner-builders, all of them black, had been slaves just eighteen years before. That these ex-slaves had been able to combine the talent, financial and technical resources, and skills to erect that magnificent building in such a short time after their August 1834 Emancipation is a testament to their intelligence, skill, and individual as well as group discipline, drive, and determination.
Today Alexandrina Hall stands as a living link to Bermuda’s heritage and past.
Still standing on that hillside, and still looking east, but this time looking to the right and past Alexandrina Hall, in the distance you can see another large building. This distant building is still enfolded by builder’s scaffolding and still acquiring its blue glass exterior. From that vantage point, both buildings appear to reach the same height. Perhaps they do. Perhaps they do not.
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Alexandrina Hall on the left, Swan Building on the right
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The building in the distance is the ten storey ‘John.Swan’ building on East Broadway. All Bermudians know who Sir John Swan is and all know his basic life story.
Each building still represents the hopes and dreams of black Bermudian people. Court Street’s Alexandrina Hall, tells of the dreams and realities of the past. East Broadway’s sky-reaching ‘John.Swan’ building, tells of the realities and dreams of the present.
The living link is that both buildings are manifestations of hopes, dreams, and progress. Both buildings are creations coming out of black Bermudian energy, drive, discipline, and intelligence.
Bermuda’s heritage, Bermuda’s past, proof of change in Bermuda, all in one eye and mind view.
Stand on that hillside, look near, look far – see Bermuda’s past, progress, and present. See how far Bermudians have come and how this island has changed and grown.
