Page 40 - Florida and the US Caribbean Isles
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LAWAETZ MUSEUM Mid-1700’s sugar plantation has an 1838 house make that trip to St. Croix and wander around Chistiansted:
that is now a museum showing early 1900’s St. Croix farm life. Sprat HISTORIC SITES:
Hall Plantation French Great House from the 1600’s has a huge an- Hamilton Jackson Park
tiques collection, guest cottages, and equestrian tours. Friedenthal Moravian Church (1854)
CALDONIA VALLEY Tropical sub-rain forest has teak, kapok, and St. John’s Angelican Church (1760)
mahogany trees in St. Croix’s most lush forest. Holy Cross Catholic Church
CARAMBOLA ESTATE The “carambola” or “star fruit” grows Fort Christiansvaern (1749)
throughout this estate. Old Danish Customs House (1734)
ST. CROIX HERTIAGE TRAIL Circumnavigate via rental car to St. Scale House/Visitors Bureau (1856)
Croix’s historic sites, ruins, attractions, beautiful natural areas, and Danish West India and Guinea Co. Warehouse (1749)
vistas along 72 miles (117 km) of roadway. Sites range from the East- Steeple Building Museum (1753)
ernmost extreme at Point Udall, to the remotest spot, Hams Bay on the Hamilton House (1750)
Northwest corner of St. Croix. Also visit the island’s most populous Government House (1747)
towns of Christiansted, with its National Historic Park, and Frederik- Lord of Sabbath Lutheran Church (1740)
sted, with its beaches and shops. On the north end this trail takes you King’s Wharf
to the only place in U.S. Territory where Columbus made landfall, at FREDERIKSTED - Fredriksted’s history has been marred by devastat-
Salt River Bay, in 1493. Historic Sites are marked by Heritage Trail ing tsunami, consuming fire and vicious hurricanes. These days, it is
signs all around the island. The trail includes coastline, farm country, unfortunately said that Fredriksted’s street crime is also of note and
tropical forests, and more. Check out the St. Croix Landmarks Soci- worry, and thus visitors have been staying away in droves. However,
ety’s website at www.stcroixlandmarks.com for more information. with a cruise ship pier, and with circle-island tours around St. Croix
CHRISTIANSTED One of the Caribbean’s most beautifully situ- beginning in Christiansted, there are still a large and growing number
ated towns has pastel buildings and arcade-style shops.The town was of day visitors. This is the 2nd largest town in the USVI. Established
founded by the Danes in 1733, and has much remaining 18th- century in 1751, but was destroyed by a tsunami in 1867, and then by fire in
architecture. The waterfront is a National Historic Site since 1952. 1878, and again much damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Town
Arts, crafts, and duty-free shopping are popular, and accommodations now has much Victorian-style architecture. Frederiksted is toured in
are fine. Since Chirstiansted is so important historically, and since 1 day. Much of this town appears old and run down, and it is said that
there are so many wonderful historic places to see, the map must natu- visitors should be aware of street crime.
rally show where they are. Here are the sites you will find when you
