FOR five generations, the Pitt family has imported and sold tobacco to Bermuda residents. Incredibly enough, the tiny shop from which what grew to be a well-established company, remains in existance today - as then, it is a purveyor of fine tobacco and its accompaniments.

"Chatham House was initially founded by my great grandfather, John A.P. Pitt in 1895," said Charles Pitt, who manages the store from its location on the corner of Burnaby Hill and Front Street. "He started it as a tobacco shop although I believe that the first one was actually down the road to the east a bit, next to the Bank of Butterfield."

Run as a tobacco shop since it first opened, Chatham House moved into its present location 75 years ago, he added.

"I have memories of it from when I was a child. At the time, there were two little pink cottages - one of which is now occupied by (Chatham's House neighbour), The Bee's Knees - with lots of horses and carriages parked in front of them. We moved into one of them until approximately 1950, when it was demolished.

"My father Jack Pitt built a four-storey building and we opened the store on the ground floor. There were apartments upstairs and it's been that way ever since. Somehow or the other, we managed to build around the store without closing it down."

As with the building's structure, the woodworks which line its interior are those which were placed when it was first constructed.

"It's redwood unfortunately, not Bermuda cedar," said Mr. Pitt, "but all the woodwork in the store has been present for at least 50 years through great care, sanding and revarnishing."

When the building was redesigned and rebuilt, Chatham House expanded its sales, offering souvenirs in addition to the tobacco and tobacco-accoutrements it sold previously.

"We've sold tobacco, souvenirs and the stuff to go with it since the 1950s when (Chatham House) was rebuilt," he said. "We sell every item that goes with tobacco - pipes and cigars, cigarettes; things that are hard to find elsewhere. Things that nobody else on the island sells."

Mr. Pitt said he left the family importing business, Pitt & Co., of which his son William is now the general manager, to run Chatham House nearly 20 years ago.

"We have our regular clientele. People come from all around the island to buy things like Briar pipes - wooden pipes that you can't find anywhere else - and things like that. Some of our merchandise, we've been selling for 50 years. We've added to that with little things like postcards and candies."

It's unlikely that his business would be affected to any great extent if legislation were to be enacted banning smoking in Bermuda's restaurants, Mr. Pitt said. However, he has noticed a change in the way people prefer to smoke, in recent years.

"Smokers will always smoke," he said. "However, I think there are less and less people smoking pipes. Ocassionally, perhaps, but most people who smoke will enjoy cigarettes during the day and use the pipe at night."

Ever popular, he added, are Cuban cigars, although the events of September 11, 2001, affected the level of those sales as well.

"A lot of American tourists come asking for them. But since September 11, I've been selling considerably less. Because of the increased security with customs officials at the airport, people aren't taking home vast quantities of cigars illegally."

As any good salesman would, said Mr. Pitt, he spends time talking to his customers.

"I think it helps to hear what people have to say, especially if they have some kind of complaint that I can help them with. Unfortunately that happens far too often today. When they raised the tax on cigars, it was probably a mistake on the part of Government. Usually, we like to keep them somewhat near the range of US prices. So people have been complaining."