Over the years, the St. John Historical Society has become aware of an increasing demand placed on the wealth of images that the society has accumulated and posted on its website. Some of this material is in the public domain, some is on permanent loan to the society with unlimited
(A presentation by Ken Wild, summarized by Diana Hall) Members of the St. John Historical Society present at the April 8 membership meeting learned that 2013 was an extremely productive year for the National Park Service Archeology Program as Virgin Islands National Park Archeologist and Cultural Resource Manager Ken Wild
Last week, we posted a link to the Tradewinds article on the initial archaeological survey work being undertaken at Bellevue, along with some important background information as to the Historical Society and the St. John Community Foundation’s objectives. That posting can be viewed here. On August 3rd, Tradewinds provided a follow-up to the initial reporting
Background… On March 28, 2013, the St. John Historical Society entered into a 99 year lease agreement with the St. John Community Foundation for a small parcel of land on the Bellevue Estate, off Gift Hill Road, on St. John. The parcel being leased is part of a larger piece
The following article is a special Five Quarters supplement written and designed by SJHS member Valerie Sims. It tells the tale of the legendary Captain Franz Romer, who set out to make the first recorded crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a sea kayak. The SJHS Media Committee is grateful
(Contributed by SJHS Member Kim Viner in the city of Laramie) On the high plains of southeastern Wyoming stands a wonderful 1892 mansion built by Edward Ivinson. Edward was one of the most prominent men in the community for many years and a noted philanthropist later in his life. The
Tucked away in a corner of Cruz Bay, between establishments reflecting modern life in this little island town, is the final resting place of six Free-Colored St. Johnians who died between 1820 and 1879. Although Cruz Bay’s Free-Colored Cemetery is incredibly significant for myriad reasons it had been all but
The ruins of the Bellevue estate house and plantation compound sit prominently atop a wooded knoll in the Gift Hill area of St. John’s Cruz Bay Quarter. The estate was originally created by a merging of two early-period Danish colonial land grants, each with a recorded measurement of 3,000’ by
(Summarized by Jessica Hornbeck.) Magda Smith, long-time St. John resident, student of art history and former Director of the Virgin Islands Humanities Council, introduced those gathered at our November membership meeting to native Virgin Islands artist Albert E. Daniel with his own words: Albert E. Daniel (with Mass Hysteria), 1980
(On November 6, 2010, the St. John Historical Society and Cleans Islands International, which manages the Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS) for the University of the Virgin Islands, co-hosted a 40th anniversary commemoration of the Conclusion of the Tektite II project at VIERS. Don Near is a long-time Interpretive
I never fail to be amazed at the depth and breadth of the information that can be gleaned from research in Danish West Indies archives. Once you have ventured beyond the volumes of governmental tax accounts and reams of administrative files – the proclamations, the probates, the auctions, the
The heavy rains that have saturated St. John this year have caused major inconvenience for many residents—and terror and heartbreak for some who live in vulnerable areas. The most visible and dramatic effects of the inundation have been along St. John’s most costly and heavily engineered stretch of road: the