"Flatt's Village - Some Pictures from the Bus -1995" Flatt's Village Travelogue by grandmaR

From: Flatts History

1963 - from bus

Flatt's Village, east of Hamilton, sits on both sides of Flatt's Inlet, the narrow waterway that provides the only access to Harrington Sound. The sound looks like a lake, but is actually a saltwater bay.

The origin of the name "Flatts" is unclear, but it is believed to relate to the Dutch work "fleigh," which refers to a frame used to dry fish and tobacco.

1995 from bus

The history of Flatt's Village dates back to the early 1600s, when Bermuda was colonized. One of the castaways from the wreck of the Sea Venture built a home here and it was recorded on the Somers' Chart of 1610. Soon after Bermuda was colonized, a bridge was built linking the ribbons of land that edge the inlet. It was one of the earliest bridges built here and a modern bridge stands on the exact spot today.

2004 from the bus stop

You can cross over the bridge but you can also walk under it by using marked access points on either side. The area under the bridge is popular for fishing since every fish entering Harrington Sound must traverse the inlet. From the bridge you can see Gibbet Island in the inlet's mouth. It was here that local "witches" were hung.

1963 from bus

As with most coastal settlements, the area became a port and a haven for privateering and smuggling. But the inlet was too small for modern ships and Flatt's Village remained a picturesque fishing village until 1926, when the Aquarium was opened. A Natural History Museum and the Zoo were added later.

1995 from near aquarium

Flatt's Village became a popular stop on the Bermuda Railway and soon homes, guesthouses, and shops opened in the area. A popular stop for families. Near Shelly Bay Beach and Park.

1995 - Bob walked over to water

One of the famous residents of Flatt's Village was the Canadian Reginald Fessenden who made it possible for radio voices to be broadcase (Marconi's radio only did Morse code).

He died here July 22nd, 1932 and was buried in St. Mark's Church cemetery. . On his grave (on a stone lintel at the top of the memorial) is inscribed:
"His mind illumined the past and the future and wrought greatly for the present."

And beneath, in the picture writings of the ancient Egyptians:

I am yesterday and I know tomorrow

Reginald Aubrey Fessenden
October 6, 1866 - July 22, 1932

1995

When Fessenden retired to Flatt's Village (because of a heart condition) in 1928, he bought 'Wistowe' and remodeled it.

In a previous era, when the house was occupied by the U.S. Ambassador (from Boston ) during the the U.S. Civil War, Wistowe was the location of a deadly dual. (Bermuda was sympathetic to the south.) From the bus, if you are going from St. George airport area to Hamilton, watch, just as you go down the peninsular grade into Flatt's Village, look right and you can see 'Wistowe'. [I don't have any photos of it myself]