Eight buildings in Hamilton have been added to the list of architecturally and/or historically significant buildings after a month-long public consultation.

The Sessions House, Cabinet Office, Magistrates’ Court, the Old Town Hall, City Hall, Perot’s Post Office, Par-la-Ville, and the Victoria Bandstand are the first buildings to be listed in the City of Hamilton since the Anglican Cathedral was listed in 1983.

The Historic Buildings Advisory Committee evaluated each building on 12 criteria, including historic association, architectural importance, rarity, and period integrity before recommending them for listing. Age is just one of the considerations in evaluating a building’s significance.

A free walking tour of the buildings has been organised for World Town Planning Day on November 8 at 12.30pm starting at City Hall.

Making the announcement, Environment and Planning Minister Sylvan Richards said: “These buildings are of historic and cultural importance and are symbols of Bermuda, and its government and economic centre Hamilton, and therefore it brings me great pleasure to see them added to the list of architecturally and/or historically significant buildings in Bermuda.”

A ‘listed building’ is a building or structure which is considered to be of ‘special architectural or historic interest’. Planning permission is required for the demolition or the making of any material alteration to the external appearance of a listed building.