Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Seven Arches Museum
A block from the park (left) you'll be on Kongen's Gade (King
Street). Here you'll find the Seven Arches Museum, the re-
stored 19th-century home of a Danish artisan. The museum
commemorates Caribbean life in that era. It is named for the
seven arches that support its “Welcoming Arms” staircase.
They are yellow ballast brick, as is the staircase that leads
up to the main floor, which has been restored using authen-
tic antiques of the period.
The kitchen is particularly interesting and you can see the
cistern that collects rainwater. Most of St. Thomas still has
cisterns. The view of the harbor is lovely and rum drinks are
served in the flower-filled garden where you'll see a quaint
West Indian cottage. Small admission charge.
m
Locals rarely use the street name
“Kongen's Gade.” They refer to this
area as
Government Hill
.
Government House - Hotel 1829
Government House is a white brick and wood building with
a red roof and intricate ironwork. It commands a magnifi-
cent view of the town and harbor. Erected in 1867 as a meet-
ing place for the Danish Colonial Council, it was renovated
in 1994 and now houses both the home and the offices of the
governor.
You can visit the public reception rooms on the first two
floors. The large painting in the center of the staircase is of
Transfer Day. Another depicts Salt River, St. Croix, where
the slave uprising took place. The 2nd-floor ballroom has el-
egant mirrors, highly polished floors and walls and two
small paintings by Camille Pissarro, the leading French Im-
pressionist, who was born here in 1830. Another interesting
feature (main floor) is three large wooden plaques inscribed
with the names of the Danish governors from 1692-1917,
