A group of architectural experts have embarked on a groundbreaking project to record and chart all the listed buildings in St George’s.

The eight-strong team of students, led by Brent Fortenberry from Clemson University in Charleston and Ed Chappel, the retired director of architecture and archaeological research for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, arrived in Bermuda earlier this month.

The project, which will see the team visit more than 50 properties, has been supported by the Bermuda National Trust and is expected to take a decade to complete.

Last week the group worked on Tucker House, while this week they will move on to the Globe Hotel.

“Building on work completed by previous scholars including myself, this field school aims to undertake exhaustive architectural investigations of the Grade I and II listed buildings within the Preservation Area and the old capital,” Dr Fortenberry said.

“At the same time, students will learn about the grandeur of Bermudian architecture and the vital architectural preservation legislation and everyday practices that Bermudians have implemented to protect its built environment.

“This is all about trying to provide a comprehensive set of architectural drawings and reports for all the most historically important buildings in St George’s.”

The team of archaeologists will be in Bermuda until Saturday when they will return to Charleston.

They will then collate their drawings and documents over the spring term before sending back interpretative panels detailing their findings to be hung up around the buildings they work on.

The results of these architectural investigations and architectural renderings will be held at the Bermuda National Trust’s Old House Survey once completed, while additional copies will also be kept in the National Archives in Hamilton.

Dr Fortenberry added: “This year will be the first of what is projected to be a ten-year field study by Clemson students in co-operation with the Trust.

“Our aim is to study, protect, and document St George’s unique and irreplaceable architectural heritage.”

Dr Fortenberry, who has visited Bermuda on numerous occasions to conduct archaeological work, hopes to bring a second group of researchers back to the island next Christmas.

Bill Zuill, chief executive of the Bermuda National Trust, told The Royal Gazette the Trust was very pleased to be able to help sponsor the architectural survey.

“This will build on the Old House Survey carried out by the Bermuda National Trust in the 1990s and the Bermuda’s Architectural Heritage Series of books which have followed.

“Dr Fortenberry’s project is very exciting as it will provide Bermuda with an intensely detailed record of the architecture of the town, which in turn will give us a deep insight into how the town developed and how Bermudians lived.

“We look forward to many more years of collaboration with Dr Fortenberry and look forward to hosting him at his talk at Waterville next week.”

Dr Fortenberry is hosting a talk about St George’s urban landscape tomorrow at the Trust’s Paget headquarters, Waterville, starting at 6pm.