Frederiksted is both the town and one of the two administrative districts of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. It is a grid-planned city, designed by surveyor Jens Beckfor, originally to 14x14 blocks but built 7x7 to enhance the island commerce in the 1700s. Frederiksted has fewer than 1,000 people in the town proper, but nearly 10,000 in the greater western side of the island. Christiansted (mid-island on the north) is about 30 years older but commerce was limited by its natural, shallow protective reef. Frederiksted was built in the leeward side of the island (shadow of the wind) for calm seas and a naturally deep port. It is home to

Fort Frederik Fort Frederik, also known as Frederiksfort, is a U.S. National Historic Landmark in Frederiksted, United States Virgin Islands. It was built between 1752 and 1760 by Denmark-Norway to defend the economic interests of the natural deep water port ...

, constructed to protect the town from

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

raids and attacks from rival imperialist nations and named after

Frederick V of Denmark Frederick V ( Danish and Norwegian: ''Frederik V''; 31 March 1723 – 14 January 1766) was King of Denmark–Norway and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein from 6 August 1746 until his death in 1766. He was the son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophi ...

, who purchased the Danish West Indies in 1754. Frederiksted is often referred to as "Freedom City" by locals. This nickname has to do with the fact that the town was the site of the emancipation of

slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

in the then- Danish West Indies. On July 3, 1848, freed slave and skilled craftsman Moses Gottlieb, who also was known as "General Buddhoe," led the uprising, organized slaves on St. Croix's West End plantations, and marched on the town of Frederiksted. The emancipation of slaves was proclaimed on July 3, 1848, at Fort Frederik on the waterfront at the northern edge of Frederiksted by Governor-General

Peter von Scholten Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten (17 May 1784 – 26 January 1854) was Governor-General of the Danish West Indies from 1827 to 1848. Early life and education He was born in Vestervig, Thy, Denmark as the son of captain Casimir Wilhelm von Sch ...

. Frederiksted is home to one of two deep water ports on St. Croix and is the sole port for

cruise ships Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as "sho ...

visiting the island. Passengers disembark at the Frederiksted Pier, where they may explore the town, enjoy the beaches, rent a car, or catch a waiting

taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

that will take them to other points of interest across St. Croix. The other deep water port is located at the South Port which includes the tank farm of the former

Hovensa Limetree Bay Refinery (known also as Hovensa) is an oil refinery located on the island of Saint Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. The refinery was a joint venture between Hess Corporation and PDVSA. For most of its operating life as HOV ...

oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liq ...

as well as Renaissance Industrial Park. Several government offices occupy historic buildings in the town. Briefly in the early 2000s, Frederiksted was a port for Seaborne Airlines seaplanes, which are based in the town of Christiansted. Seaplane service ended after less than one year of service due to a tropical storm damaging the port facility.

History

The

1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and tsunami The 1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and tsunami occurred on November 18, at 2.45 p.m. in the Anegada Trough about 20 km southwest of Saint Thomas, Danish West Indies (now U.S. Virgin Islands). The 7.5 earthquake came just 20 days after the ...

heavily damaged the town. The tsunami with an estimated height of 7.6 meters beached the USS Monongahela onshore. At least five people were killed. The town was destroyed by a labor revolt (known as "The Fireburn" because

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wate ...

was utilized as a means of revolt) in October 1878, which was led by four Crucian female laborers. Frederiksted was later restored during the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...

, as reflected in the town's architecture. Modern Frederiksted operates at a slower pace than

Christiansted Christiansted is the largest town on Saint Croix, one of the main islands composing the United States Virgin Islands, a territory of the United States of America. The town is named after King Christian VI of Denmark. History The town was founded ...

, except for

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival t ...

in January and whenever cruise ships dock in Frederiksted's deepwater port. In recent years successful redevelopment efforts have begun to restore and revitalize this National Historic Site. The 2000 census population of the town was 732, and that of the larger sub-district was 3,767. Image:Saint Croix carnival dancer.jpg , A costumed carnival dancer. Image:Saint Croix carnival dancer2.jpg , Parade of costumed carnival dancers. Image:Saint Croix carnival dancer3.jpg , A costumed carnival dancer. Image:Saint Croix carnival dancer4.jpg , A costumed carnival dancer. Image:Mochajombies.jpg , A Moko jumbie.

In Media

Movies

*1994 The Shawshank Redemption *1986 Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story *1983 Trading Places *1977

The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977 film) ''The Island of Dr. Moreau'' is a 1977 American science fiction horror film directed by Don Taylor, the second English-language adaptation of H. G. Wells' 1896 novel of the same name, following '' Island of Lost Souls'' (1932). Starring Burt L ...

Music

*2014

Pressure (reggae musician) Delyno Brown (born August 5, 1981), better known as Pressure or Pressure Busspipe, is a reggae musician from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.Henry, Krista (2007)CARIBBEAN flavour: Pressure builds from Virgin Islands", ''Jamaica Gleaner'', 16 Sep ...

music video shot in Frederiksted

Renovation and Revitalisation

Several companies have participated in drafting plans to refurbish and enhance the greater Frederiksted area. Coastal Systems was retained by the Public Finance Authority to develop concepts for a waterfront park, beach, cruise pier, and other site improvements. Teams of land planners, engineers, and landscape architects met with local interest groups to develop conceptual plans for the redevelopment of the area. Environmental regulatory surveys and permits were managed by the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Agency of the USVI. Phase I of the project was completed, which consisted of the reconstruction of the waterfront park while maintaining the historical facade representative of St. Croix's heritage. Natural stonework was used throughout the project site in accordance with the local architectural style, enhancing the authenticity of the arrival experience. Phase II of the project, contemplated for the future, will involve the reconstruction of the community waterfront north of the fort and include the recreation of breakwaters, the reconstruction of Paul E. Joseph Stadium, and the restoration of the beach, restroom facilities, retaining pond, utilities, parking areas, and soccer fields.

Volunteers, community, and art

Volunteer-ism is a big part of Frederiksted. Clean Sweep Frederiksted engages volunteers in community clean ups, mural and garden projects among opportunities. They also worked with the Artists Guild of St. Croix to install dozens of painted rum barrels as community trash bins. The Artists Guild of St. Croix has installed several murals, paintings, and sponsors scholarships. Delta Dorsch who was born in Frederiksted, wrote two books ''The Role of the Storyteller in the Preservation of Virgin Islands Culture'' (1999) and contributed to ''The Glory Days of Frederiksted (2004) about cultural aspects of the community.

Climate

Frederiksted has a tropical climate with warm weather year-round. Water temperatures of 78-79'F in winter and ~85'F in September. The waters are typically very calm as Frederiksted is in the leeward side (shadow of the island's wind) with ~12 inch tide. The sunrise varies from 5:30 a.m. in summer and 7:00 a.m. in winter. Sunset varies between 5:40 p.m. in winter and 7:10 p.m. in summer. St. Croix does not use the daylight saving time. The ultraviolet index or UV index varies from 10+ UV index in the summer and a maximum of 7 UV index in winter. Persistent Easterly trade winds, moving from east to west across the island year round create a cool breeze. Rainforests are located on this western side of St. Croix due to the topography and 1,400 foot peaks and the tradewinds. This rainforest climate is unique to the Frederiksted side of St. Croix. Hurricanes: * 1984 Nov. Category 1

Hurricane Klaus (1984) Hurricane Klaus was a North Atlantic hurricane that hit the Leeward Islands from the west in November of the 1984 Atlantic hurricane season. Forming from a broad area of low pressure on November 5, Klaus maintained a northeast movement througho ...

caused severe flooding * 1989, Sept. Category 4 Hugo devastated ~85% of St. Croix, destroying the Old Frederiksted Pier * 1995, Sept. Category 2 Marilyn caused severe damage to St. Croix, in particular to the Frederiksted side of the island and even more damage to St. Thomas. * 1998, Sept. Category 4

Hurricane Georges Hurricane Georges () was a powerful and long-lived Cape Verde Category 4 hurricane which caused severe destruction as it traversed the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in September 1998, making eight landfalls along its path. Georges was the seventh ...

affected 15% of the island's power grid, wind and wave damage. * 1999, Oct. Category 2 Hurricane Jose (1999) minimal damage * 1999, Nov. Category 4 Hurricane Lenny passes 21 miles south of St. Croix, 15-20' waves destroyed many beaches dumping 6.5 ft (2 m) of sand onto coastal roads about 100 ft (30 m) inland, wind damage, and flooding/erosion. * 2004, Sept. Category 3

Hurricane Jeanne Hurricane Jeanne was a Category 3 hurricane that struck the Caribbean and the Eastern United States in September 2004. It was the deadliest hurricane in the Atlantic basin since Mitch in 1998. It was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurric ...

* 2008, Oct. Category 1 Hurricane Omar (2008) Nearly the entire island lost power, scores of boats were damaged or destroyed, and an oil spill. * 2010, Aug/Sept. Category 4 Hurricane Earl (2010) minimal damage, power outages * 2011, Aug. Tropical Storm Hurricane Irene hit St. Croix, damaging beaches * 2014, Aug. Category 1

Hurricane Bertha (2014) Hurricane Bertha was an unusual tropical cyclone in early August 2014 that attained hurricane status, despite having a disheveled appearance and an abnormally high atmospheric pressure. The third tropical cyclone and second hurricane of the 2014 ...

hit St. Croix as a tropical storm, damaging beaches * 2017, Sept. Category 5 Hurricane Irma passed ~100 miles north of St. Croix with local winds near 100 mph removing small branches and leaves. * 2017, Sept. Category 5

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect ...

passed ~10 miles south of St. Croix.

Notable people

Joe Christopher Joseph O'Neal Christopher (born December 13, 1935) is a former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from through . Listed at 5' 10", 175 lbs., he batted and threw right-handed. Christopher reached the big ...

, former Major League Baseball player for the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

and

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

External links

Fsted.com

References

{{Authority control Populated places established in 1751 Populated places in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Planned cities in the United States 1751 establishments in the Danish colonial empire Towns in the United States Virgin Islands Sub-districts of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands