Christiansted ( , ; ) is the largest town on

Saint Croix Saint Croix ( ; ; ; ; Danish language, Danish and ; ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent Districts and sub-districts of the United States Virgin Islands, district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an Unin ...

, one of the main islands of the

United States Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located ...

, a

territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...

of the

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

. The town is named after King

Christian VI of Denmark Christian VI (30 November 1699 – 6 August 1746) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1730 to 1746. The eldest surviving son of Frederick IV of Denmark, Frederick IV and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, he is considered one of Denmark-Norway's m ...

History

The town was founded by Captain Frederik Moth after he was made governor of St. Croix in 1733. Departing from St. Thomas, Moth's party had cleared a space for Fort Christianswærn by 5 September. In a ceremony next to this fort on 8 January 1734, the French formally handed the island over to the Danes in the form of the Danish West India and Guinea Company. St. Croix was to be allotted 300 plantations, 215 for sugar and the rest for cotton. The plantations surveyed were 3,000 by 2,000 feet. In addition, the company established a sugar refinery and distillery. The fort was completed by 1740. The 1742 census listed 120 sugar plantations, 122 cotton plantations, 1,906 slaves, about 300 Englishmen, and 60 Danes. By 1743, St. Croix had a hospital. In 1745, the number of slaves had increased to 2,878. By 1754, the town included 83 "white inhabitants", "each of whom owned from a single slave to sixty-six of them", according to Westergaard. Slaves on the island numbered 7,566. Christiansted is a former capital of the

Danish West Indies The Danish West Indies () or Danish Virgin Islands () or Danish Antilles were a Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas with , Saint John () with , Saint Croix with , and Water Island. The islands of St ...

and home to the Christiansted National Historic Site. It has preserved the 18th-century Danish-style solid stone buildings in pastel colors with bright red tile roofs line the cobblestone sidewalks, adding a touch of 18th-century European architectural style. Because the town was constructed by African slaves, there are also African influences in Christiansted's design, making it one of the world's few "African-Danish" towns. The town's symmetry, with streets running at right angles to the waterfront, makes it popular for walking tours. The commercial area centers on King and Company streets, adjacent to the Christiansted National Historic Site. The residential area, including portions that were originally settlements for free blacks, extends inland and uphill from the commercial area. The botanist Julius von Rohr started a botanic garden in the 18th century and produced a number of landscapes of the island. Christiansted has small hotels and many restaurants. In 1947, The Buccaneer resort, to the northeast of town, was opened by the Armstrong family as an 11-room inn. Several scuba shops operate in town, as the wharf has easy access to diving attractions on the island's north side. A small point of interest is Protestant Cay, a cay near Christiansted. Queen CrossSt 20230924 115910

Demographics

2020 Census

As of 2020, Christiansted had a population of 1,770, while the larger sub-district had a population of 1,866. The population decreased by almost 30% between 2010 and 2020 due to the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Economy

Seaborne Airlines Seaborne Virgin Island Inc, operating as Seaborne Airlines, is a FAR Part 121 airline headquartered in Carolina, Puerto Rico, near the territory's capital of San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan. It operates a seaplane shuttle service between Saint ...

was formerly headquartered in Christiansted.Contact Seaborne Airlines
().

. February 7, 2006. Retrieved on April 18, 2015. "Postal Address: Seaborne Airlines Attn: Feedback 34 Strand Street Christiansted, VI 00820 "

Transportation

Christiansted is served by one commercial airport, Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, with flights on several airlines, including American and

Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta"), the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * Delta Air Lines, a major US carrier ...

. A ferry serving the hotel on the Cay resort runs between Christiansted and Protestant Cay.

Education

Public schools serving the community are operated by the St. Croix School District.

Climate

Christiansted has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

( Koppen Aw/As).

People

* Judah P. Benjamin,

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

politician, born in Christiansted while it was still a Danish

colony A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their ''metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often orga ...

. *

Victor Borge Børge Rosenbaum (; 3 January 1909 – 23 December 2000), known professionally as Victor Borge ( ), was a Danish and American actor, comedian, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television in both North America and Europe. Hi ...

, was a longtime resident of Christiansted * Carolyn Carter, model and beauty queen *

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

player

Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 19-year career with the San Antonio Sp ...

(two-time

MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...

, five-time

NBA champion The NBA Finals is the championship series for the National Basketball Association (NBA) held at the conclusion of its postseason. All NBA Finals have been played in a best-of-seven format, and are contested between the winners of the Easter ...

) is a native. * Kenneth Gittens, politician and police officer *

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...

, resident in 1765 after leaving his birthplace of Charlestown, Nevis at age 11. Upon reaching 17 years old, he moved from the then-Danish Virgin Islands to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and never returned to the Caribbean. *

Casper Holstein Casper Holstein (December 6, 1877 – April 5, 1944) was a prominent New York mobster involved in the Harlem " numbers rackets" during the Harlem Renaissance. Early life Born of mixed African and Danish descent in St. Croix, Danish Wes ...

, mobster involved in the Harlem "numbers rackets", was born in Christiansted in 1876. * Marise James, politician *

Audre Lorde Audre Lorde ( ; born Audrey Geraldine Lorde; February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was an American writer, professor, philosopher, Intersectional feminism, intersectional feminist, poet and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "Bl ...

, poet, died in Christiansted * "Queen" Mary Thomas, one of the leaders of the fireburn riots, was imprisoned here from 1887 to 1905. Government House in Christiansted

Notes

Sources

* Lonely Planet's ''Cities Book: A Journey Through the Best Cities in the World'' p. 159.

External links

Christiansted National Historic Site (National Park Service)
* {{Authority control Populated places in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Towns in the United States Virgin Islands Sub-districts of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Populated places established in 1744 Christian VI of Denmark