Christiansted National Historic Site commemorates urban colonial development of the Virgin Islands. It features 18th and 19th century structures in the heart of Christiansted, the capital of the former Danish West Indies on St. Croix Island.
The site consists of six historic structures: Fort Christiansværn (constructed from 1738 to 1749), the Danish West India and Guinea Company Warehouse (1749), the Church of Our Lord Sabaoth Steeple Building (1753), Customs House (built 1840-1842), the Scale House (1856), and Government House (1747). The Danish West India and Guinea Company held slave auctions within the walled compound of their warehouse until 1803, when the slave trade was outlawed.
Map of the U.S. National Park System with Unified Regions. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
https://www.nps.gov/chri/index.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiansted_National_Historic_Site
Christiansted National Historic Site commemorates urban colonial development of the Virgin Islands. It features 18th and 19th century structures in the heart of Christiansted, the capital of the former Danish West Indies on St. Croix Island.
The site consists of six historic structures: Fort Christiansværn (constructed from 1738 to 1749), the Danish West India and Guinea Company Warehouse (1749), the Church of Our Lord Sabaoth Steeple Building (1753), Customs House (built 1840-1842), the Scale House (1856), and Government House (1747). The Danish West India and Guinea Company held slave auctions within the walled compound of their warehouse until 1803, when the slave trade was outlawed.
Christiansted National Historic Site was established in 1952 as the first unit of the National Park Service in the Virgin Islands of the United States. Covering over seven acres the park tells the stories about Danish economy and ways of life, and the interactions of people in Europe, Africa, West Indies, and North America during the Danish era of occupation of the Virgin Islands (1734-1917).
To Christiansted National Historic Site from Henry E. Rohlsen Airport: Drive east on Route 64 to Melvin Edwards Highway (Route 66). Turn right and continue for 4.8 miles (7.2 kilometers). Continue straight onto Old Centerline Road (Queen Mary Highway), and continue straight onto the Christiansted Bypass 3.7 miles (5.9 km). Turn left onto Hospital Street. The parking lot for Christiansted National Historic Site will be on your right.
Christiansted National Historic Site Bookstore and Visitor Contact
Our bookstore is located at the historic Scale House, at the water's edge. Unfortunately our bookstore is temporarily closed.
To Christiansted National Historic Site from Henry E. Rohlsen Airport: Drive east on Route 64 to Melvin Edwards Highway (Route 66). Turn right and continue for 4.8 miles (7.2 kilometers). Continue straight onto Old Centerline Road (Queen Mary Highway), and continue straight onto the Christiansted Bypass 3.7 miles (5.9 km). Turn left onto Hospital Street. The parking lot for Christiansted National Historic Site will be on your right.
Christiansted National Historic Site Visitor Center
Fort Christiansvaern at Christiansted National Historic Site serves as the point of information for all three national park units on St. Croix, including Buck Island Reef National Monument and Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve. Visit the fee booth at the fort for brochures, pamphlets, and guides. And be sure to check out our temporary exhibits. For group tours or special events, please contact the Division of Interpretation at (340) 773.1460.
To Christiansted National Historic Site from Henry E. Rohlsen Airport: Drive east on Route 64 to Melvin Edwards Highway (Route 66). Turn right and continue for 4.8 miles (7.2 kilometers). Continue straight onto Old Centerline Road (Queen Mary Highway), and continue straight onto the Christiansted Bypass 3.7 miles (5.9 km). Turn left onto Hospital Street. The parking lot for Christiansted National Historic Site will be on your right.
None
There is no campground at the Christiansted NHS.
Fort Christiansvaern
fiew of the exterior of the fort
Fort Christiansvaern was built between 1738 and 1749. It is made of brick, stone, and coral block.
Customs House
view of the front steps of the Customs House
A customs house has stood on this spot since the 1730s. The current building was finished in the 1842.
Fort Christiansvaern - Commandant's Quarters
View of the interior courtyard and stairs to the quarters of the fort's Commandant.
Fort Christiansvaern served as the residence for the Danish colony's Governor, then for the fort's Commandant and his family.
Steeple Building
view of the Steeple Building from the street corner.
First known as the Church of Our Lord of Zebaoth, the church was completed in 1751, and consecrated in 1753. The steeple tower was built 1793-1796.
Commerce and the Christiansted Wharf
Ca. 1815 painting of activity at the wharf in Christiansted, St. Croix.
The Christiansted wharf was a cosmopolitan port throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.
Young Alexander Hamilton
Drawing of Alexander Hamilton, age 18
Alexander Hamilton spent his youth on St. Croix, from 1765 until 1772. This drawing was made shortly after he left the island.
National Park Getaway: Christiansted National Historic Site
Velkommen til Christiansted National Historical Park! When you think of visiting “America’s Paradise,” what comes to mind? Sparkling clear waters? Coral reefs? Palm trees swaying in the breeze? History? All of this and more can be found in our national parks on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Bright yellow colonial-style building two trees in front
Uniforms for the Caribbean
Did you know that employees from across the National Park Service stepped up to help their fellow employees after hurricanes hit the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico? In September of 2017, Hurricane Irma, one of the strongest known hurricanes in the Atlantic, lashed the Caribbean and Florida. It was followed within days by Hurricane Maria, another devastating hurricane that also hit Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, among other places.
Boxes line a hallway awaiting shipment to parks in the Caribbean. Photo by Kristine Brunsman
The Slave Wrecks Project at Christensted and Buck Island
NPS archeologists working with the Slave Wrecks Project (SWP) searched for underwater wrecks of slaver ships and terrestrial remains of slave markets to learn more about the global slave trade.
Archeologists look at something underwater
Caribbean Trade and Networks
A study on prehistoric artifacts of the Saladoid-era (ca. 400 B.C. to A.D. 600) peoples on St. Croix Island used archeological and settlement pattern data to understand the lives of ancient Caribbean societies, including how they settled the landscape; their contacts and exchanges both among themselves and their island neighbors; and how these communities, societies, and their interactions changed over time.
SARI excavations.
Alexander Hamilton
An overview of the life and accomplishments of Alexander Hamilton.
Alexander Hamilton painted portrait.
Alexander Hamilton, New Yorker
An exploration of Hamilton's time in and contributions to New York City.
This painting depicts Hamilton dressed in New York Artillery uniform.
Why Sea Turtles Returned to Buck Island
Beneath the turquoise waves of a Caribbean “gem,” we are witnessing the comeback of some of the world’s oldest animals.
Woman kneeling over a large sea turtle, measuring its shell with a tape measure.
Guide to the Thomas J. Allen Photograph Collection
Finding aid for the Thomas J. Allen Photographs in the NPS History Collection.