Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ment in Christiansted. To stop illegal traffic at the spot, nicknamed 'Freedom City,' the
Danes decided to create an official port with a fort as a deterrent to the smuggling.
Dramatic events highlight Frederiksted's history during much of the 19th century. First
came the recession in the sugar industry. Next came the slave revolt of 1848, when the
black leader General Budhoe and a legion of slaves gathered outside the fort and threatened
destruction of the island until Governor Peter von Scholten issued his Proclamation of
Emancipation, which freed all the slaves in the Danish West Indies.
Finally, on October 1 and 2, 1878, former slaves, angered by the planters' refusal to pay
wages of more than 5¢ to 7¢ a day, went on an island-wide rampage called the Fireburn,
which reduced Frederiksted to ashes. The burned neoclassical colonial buildings were re-
built or replaced during the end of the 19th century, giving Frederiksted's historic buildings
the Victorian look you see today.
Sights
When cruise ships arrive, the town bustles. Shopkeepers fling open their doors, vendors set
up stalls, and bands play in the park. Otherwise, it's pretty quiet around here. Check
VI
Now(
www.vinow.com
)
for the ship schedule.
Frederiksted Pier & Waterfront Park
PARK
The long pier that heads out to sea from the north end of Strand St has had its ups and
downs in recent years. A decade or so ago, cruise ships docked here regularly. Then high
crime rates drove them away. The community worked hard to address the issue, and it even-
tually got funding to revitalize the abutting area with a park, fountains and cobbled pedes-
trian paths stretching along the waterfront. In 2008 ships began to drift back in.
The palm-lined seafront has benches where you can sit and watch the scene. The pier is
worth a stroll - except when ships are in, in which case only passengers are permitted past
the gate. During quiet times, snorkelers and divers gravitate to the pier's pilings, which at-
tract an extensive collection of marine life, such as schools of sea horses.
Fort Frederik
MUSEUM
(admission $3; open when cruise ships in port)
The deep red color of this fort at the
foot of the town pier is what most visitors remember about the little citadel. The threaten-
ing paint job was meant to dissuade smugglers of a bygone era. The rubble-and-masonry
structure came to life between 1752 and 1760 and owes its trapezoidal design to classic
Danish military architecture of the period.
