Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sightseeing
Historic Sites in Charlotte Amalie
The town is still bound to the sea. The harbor and water-
front are its heart. Instead of the pirate ships and gold-laden
galleons of the past, the harbor is crowded with sleek cruise
ships, sailboats gliding by or riding at anchor, catamarans
and local fishermen hawking their wares on the dock.
H
Pick up a
map of Charlotte Amalie
at the Tourist Welcome Center on
Tolbod Gade.
Fort Christian Museum
A good place to start is the red tower that dominates the east
end of town on the waterfront. This is Fort Christian (look
for the entrance in the parking lot).
Painted a deep red and marked by a distinctive clock tower,
this is the oldest continuously occupied building in St.
Thomas. It was home to the governor, carpenters, black-
smiths, a cotton gin, the minister and, until 1983, the is-
land's jail. All legal, social and ceremonial functions took
place here. The old cells where planters served 30 days for
non-payment of taxes are now filled with galleries, shops
and the Fort Christian Museum.
The museum is small, but contains memorabilia from St.
Thomas' earliest days to the present and offers a complete
history lesson free of charge. You will see photos and paint-
ings of the town when it was still known as Tap Haus. Period
furniture, bed stands, a desk and a kneeling bench for
prayers are on display. Interesting too are the newspapers
and old photos of Transfer Day, March 31, 1917, when the
US took over the administration of the islands. An Act of
Congress in 1927 made Virgin Islanders United States citi-
zens.
