Page 1039 - Visitor Guides

VISIT THE HISTORIC TOWNS, OLD PLANTATIONS,

FORTS, CHURCHES AND SUGAR MILLS THAT

MAKE UP THE RICH HISTORY OF THE USVI

OUR FORTS WERE BUILT TO FEND Lord God of Saboath Lutheran Church — a 1733 slave revolt that resulted in the murder Frederick Lutheran Church — Built in 1820 in a
OFF PIRATES. YOU, HOWEVER, ARE Built in the 1740s, this Lutheran Church is of the plantation owner and his 12-year-old combination of neo-classical and gothic revival
ENCOURAGED TO VISIT. St. Croix’s oldest extant church. Originally the daughter. This church is said to be haunted. architecture, this historic church retains much
Our islands have many forts, built to protect Dutch Reformed Church, it was transferred to ST. THOMAS of its original character. Gracious steps and
our precious shores from the onslaught of the Lutheran Congregation in 1831, which is an arched doorway greet visitors. The church
pirates. They also served as courthouses, now the Steeple Building. The most distinctive Camille Pissarro Building — The father of has an elaborate bell tower, lovely stained
prisons, and as places for religious services. feature is the neoclassical tower, built in 1834 French Impressionism, Camille Pissarro was glass windows and other historical features
Visit Fort Christiansvaern or Fort Frederik on St. and designed by Albert Lovmand, the official born and raised in Charlotte Amalie. His that date back to the days when Denmark
Croix, Fort Christian on St. Thomas, Fortsberg Architect of the Danish Colonies at the time. childhood home is now an art gallery featuring owned the Virgin Islands. Since the Lutheran
in St. John or Water Island’s Fort Segarra. Holy Cross Catholic Church — Originally built artwork from dozens of artists, including Church was then the Danish state church, the
Camille Pissarro himself.
THEY AREN’T JUST BUILDINGS. in 1755, Holy Cross was extensively altered in Beracha Veshalom Vegmiluth Hasidim governor often filled in for the minister. Home
to the oldest Lutheran congregation in the
THEY’RE ICONIC LANDMARKS IN the 1850s. It was built in the shape of a cross Synagogue — Built in 1796 by Sephardic Jews, Virgin Islands, this revivalist style structure was
COLONIAL HISTORY. to represent St. Croix, which means “holy the St. Thomas Synagogue is one of the oldest completed in 1844.
Constructed in 1867 as the meeting place cross” in French. It is located on Queen Street synagogues in the Western Hemisphere. People
for the Danish Colonial Council, St. Thomas in Christiansted. of all faiths are welcome to visit the sand-floored New Herrnhut Moravian Church — Missionary
Government House serves today as the ST. JOHN interior of this National Historic Landmark. Frederick Martin established this house of
Governor’s Office. On St. Croix, Government Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins — Is one of several worship in St. Thomas in 1737 after purchasing
House illustrates the grandeur of Danish of St. John’s plantations owned in the 1720s St. Thomas Reformed Church — The church a plantation on the east end of St. Thomas.
buildings from the period in the West Indies and 1730s by Frederick Moth, the first Danish was established around 1660, and is one of The plantation was named “New Herrnhut” in
when sugar was king. This building is one of Governor of St. Croix and, later, the Governor the oldest congregations in the Virgin Islands. honor of the Mother Church in Germany. It is
the largest governor’s residences in the Lesser General of the Danish West Indies. By the Organized by Dutch traders as the St. Thomas the Virgin Islands’ first Moravian Church.
Antilles, and visitors are welcome. early 19th century, Annaberg, one of St. John’s Protestant Reformed Dutch Church, the first

ST. CROIx biggest sugar producers, also produced church was built in the mid-1670s on the
savannah east of the Fort in the area known
Whim Plantation Museum — With its original molasses and rum for export. as Barracks Yard. In the 1740s a new church
early 18th Century plantation buildings The Emmaus Moravian Church — Located was built on Snegle Gade, which burned in
covering 12 acres of land, it is the oldest sugar in Coral Bay, the church is on the List of 1804. A new church was immediately erected,
plantation museum in the Virgin Islands. The Registered Historic Places in the United States but was again destroyed by fire in 1806. The
fully restored windmill and sugar factory ruins Virgin Islands and holds an interesting place cornerstone of the present church was laid
are open for you to explore. You can see in St. John’s history. It was the only church September 18, 1844, and completed and
sugar cane growing nearby in one of the allowed to minister to the slaves and was consecrated on February 8, 1848.
plantation gardens. instrumental in establishing Dutch Creole as

Buddhoe Park — On July 3, 1848, “General the language spoken between planters and
Buddhoe” Gottleib rallied more than 6,000 the enslaved Africans. The Church stands next
armed slaves at this park to demand freedom. to the Caroline Estate plantation, the site of
As a result, Governor Peter von Scholten
proclaimed the emancipation of the slaves on
this day. Located next to Fort Frederik Museum
in Frederiksted, the park contains a bronze bust
of the renowned slave rebellion leader.

6 7