Perot Post Office Bermuda
Perot's Post Office is named after the man who was appointed Bermuda's first Postmaster General in 1821 - William B. Perot. He was actually acting as an unofficial post man for several years, meeting the ships and tucking the letters under his hat before touring the town to deliver them. Perot went one step further in 1848 when he began to produce his own postage stamps.
Perot Post Office Bermuda
Photo: Robyn Fleming, flickr, cc by 2.0
Only 11 are known to exist today, making each one extremely valuable. One of his postage stamps was auctioned for $92,000 in 1985. Because of Perot, Bermuda became only the second British colony after Mauritius to have its own postage stamps. Perot was a postmaster by trade and a gardener by choice.
Perot used to stamp every outgoing mail himself by hand. Seeing this tedious job, his friend J.B. Heyl came out with a solution. He suggested that instead of stamping every mail, Perot would stamp a whole sheet of postmark paper, sign the stamps and sell the sheet of stamps for a shilling. People could then tear off a stamp from the sheet and use it for postage. Perot now got more free time for gardening.
The little post office, is still very much the same as Perot kept it, neat and simply furnished. The building has been repaired and restored by Bermuda Government. There is still an active branch post office operating out of this building.
Inside Perot Post Office
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Perot retired in 1862. You will find Perot's and his wife's portraits in Bermuda Historical Society which is located next to the post office.
Update January 2019: Following a major refurbishment, the Perot Post Office re-opened on January 21, 2019. The Bermuda Philatelic Bureau which was earlier housed in the General Post Office on Church Street (Hamilton), has now been relocated to Perot Post Office. So collectors of stamps can now get special edition stamps and first day covers at Perot Post Office.
Update August 2020: As per the directive of the Health Ministry of Bermuda, the Perot Post Office is being used as an interim Covid-19 Testing Center. The postal products and services are presently stalled here. However, the normal service is expected to resume once its temporary use as Covid-19 testing center concludes.
Open Hours
There is no admission fee and the post office is open between 9a.m - 5p.m from Monday - Friday. It's closed on public holidays.
How to reach
It's located in Hamilton city on Queen Street at the junction of Reid Street.
Address is 11 Queen Street, Hamilton. Phone: 441/292 9052
Road Map
By Raj Bhattacharya
Raj, a seasoned travel writer and Bermuda destination expert, has extensive global travel experience. This website reflects his profound insights, garnered over nearly two decades of dedicated findings and research on the island. Raj has assisted countless Bermuda-bound visitors by providing direct, personalized responses to their queries and imparting his wealth of knowledge through this platform. This site serves as an indispensable guide for those seeking informed and reliable insights into Bermuda's treasures.
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