Residents have been invited by the City of Hamilton to share photographs, illustrations and personal stories of Fort Hamilton.

While renovation works continue at the site, the City said the items will help to uncover more of the fort’s history and provide valuable insight into its past.

The material will also aid the creation of future visitor displays.

The City said that recent archaeological investigations uncovered “fascinating discoveries” at the site, including the remains of 19th-century outhouse structures near the fort’s entrance.

Florence Laino, the archaeological project manager for the City, led the excavations, which highlighted the importance of undertaking fieldwork as part of the planning and development process at the site.

As she pieces together information on the fort’s history, Ms Laino asked for the public’s help to gain further insights into the properties and families who lived on the land before it was requisitioned by the War Department.

She also requested information on the daily lives of soldiers who were stationed at the fort, the activities of the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps from 1902 to 1922 and the fort’s transformation into a public attraction following its purchase by the Corporation of Hamilton.

Ms Laino said: “We’ve come across very few historical photographs or illustrations of the fort and I’m certain there are more out there in the collections of Bermudian families.

“Images are a window into the past, helping us understand how the fort has changed over time.

“It would be phenomenal if we could incorporate some of this material into future displays at the fort.”

She said the City was also eager to gather personal stories from Bermudians — from as far back as the 1800s — of memories which have been passed down through generations.

Ms Laino said more recent accounts were just as valuable and she noted that records from 1935 confirmed that Portuguese workers were housed at the fort, though the exact timeline of their departure was unclear.

Some may have lived at the fort as late as the 1960s and she said: “This represents a significant, yet largely undocumented chapter in the fort’s history, and we would like to share their story too.”

Ms Laino said a 1935 record noted that “wooden huts and chicken coops” were “constructed by or for the Portuguese labourers”, which offered a glimpse into their lives at the fort.

The City said information gathered through the crowdsourcing effort will complement existing records from the Bermuda Government Archives, the National Museum of Bermuda, the Bermuda National Trust and the personal collection of Edward Harris, all of whom have been invaluable partners in providing historical insights for the renovation project.

Seth Pearman, a City Parks Department gardener, has made dedicated efforts to remove invasive plant species as part of an ongoing programme to maintain the existing structures at the fort.

A final phase of archaeological excavation will follow as construction progresses, with the goal of preserving the fort’s legacy for future generations.

• To contribute to the crowdsourcing programme, e-mail forthamilton@cityhall.bm