Monday 5 September 2016

"The Peak", Bermuda

This is a Phoenix Drug Co card (No. 26) which I was curious to find out more about.


I did a search online, but found no mention of it. I also asked someone who knows a lot about Bermuda as well. He didn't really know and then asked a Bermudian he knew if he had any information about it. He thought it was somewhere close to Flatts Village (see my Tucker blog for more about Flatts). He thought it was overgrown but could be seen from certain angles. 
That gave me a clue as to where to search for it on my Bermuda map. I spotted a "Folly's Tower" (close to Flatts marked on my map) and did a search on that online.
One of the results (thank you Bermuda-online.org!) gave me Zuill's Folly landmark, a concrete observation tower, built in 1908 by a local landowner on the island's highest elevation. His aim was to attract tourists to the top of the tower to view the island from one end  to the other. Unfortunately this wasn't a success as a tourist attraction.
The tower still exists to this day however, but has a 60 foot transmitter used for numerous commercial stations on top.
And here is an up to date photo of the tower.


I'm was wondering why it was called "The Peak" in the original postcard, but if it was on the highest part of the island, that may account for it. Unfortunately the postcard is not used, so there is no postmark to date it.
I would like to find out some more information about the landowner. I have a feeling that Zuill is a fairly common name in Bermuda. If I find out anymore, I will post it here.
This is like being a detective of sorts! Really enjoyable!

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