Decrepit Archlyn Villa faces uncertain fate
The Bermuda Hospitals Board will determine the fate of what was one of the island’s most iconic guesthouses.
A spokeswoman said the BHB, which purchased Archlyn Villa in 1990, will decide whether to sell or renovate the building on St John’s Road by the end of this year.
The property, which the BHB planned to use as a hospice, housed hospital staff from 1990 until 2014, but outstanding repairs have caused it to be vacant since then.
The property was built by John Gibson in 1826 and had several owners before Archibald and Lillian Minors bought and expanded it in 1953.
Mr and Mrs Minors, who are credited with starting Black tourism in Bermuda, operated Archlyn Villa from their St George’s home from 1944 until relocating to Pembroke.
Archlyn Villa accommodated Black tourists during racial segregation in Bermuda and singers Gladys Knight and Patty LaBelle, poet Langston Hughes and most Black entertainers who performed at the Forty Thieves nightclub stayed there.
The Minorses and their guesthouse were featured in Who’s Who in America in 1974 and Afro-American newspapers.
Mrs Minors and other Black guesthouse owners established the Bermuda Resort Association and the couple sold the property in 1981.
Linda Abend and Margie Lloyd, from the Bermuda National Trust, wrote in 2022 that the existing property “appears abandoned and uninhabitable”.
They added: “The roof has been damaged and the whole place has a look of seediness and deterioration — yes, it’s an old house and, yes, just like every other house in Bermuda, it requires maintenance.”
The BHB spokeswoman said the board is ensuring the building is safe and the choice to sell it or not is a “financial as well as strategic decision”.
She added: “We are aware of the historical value of the building and this history is part of our consideration.
“Given its current state of disrepair, the future of the building is being prioritised and we expect a decision by the board within this calendar year.”
• To view the full Bermuda National Trust article, see Related Media
• UPDATE: this article has been updated to remove the reference that Mr and Mrs Minors formed the Socratic Literary Society, which is now understood to be inaccurate
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