Frederiksted ( Danish for "Frederik's Place") is both a town and one of the two administrative districts of St. Croix,

U.S. 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 ...

. 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. Fewer than 1,000 people live in Frederiksted proper, but nearly 10,000 live on 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 por ...

, 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 valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

raids and attacks from rival imperialist nations and named after

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

, who purchased 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 ...

in 1754. Locals often call Frederiksted "Freedom City". This nickname has to do with the fact that the town was the site of the emancipation of slaves in the then-

. On July 3, 1848, freed slave and skilled craftsman Moses Gottlieb, also known as "General Buddhoe", led the uprising, organized slaves on St. Croix's West End plantations, and marched on 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. 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 " ...

visiting the island. Passengers disembark at the Frederiksted Pier, where they may explore the town, enjoy the beaches, rent a car, or catch a taxi that to other points of interest on St. Croix. The other deep water port is at the South Port and includes the tank farm of the former Hovensa

oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial processes, industrial process Factory, plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refining, refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, Bitumen, asphalt base, ...

and Renaissance Industrial Park. Several government offices occupy historic buildings in the town. In the early 2000s, Frederiksted was briefly a port for Seaborne Airlines seaplanes, which are based in Christiansted. Seaplane service ended after less than a year when a tropical storm damaged the port facility.

History

The

1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and tsunami The 1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and tsunami occurred on November 18, at 14.45 in the Anegada Passage 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 de ...

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

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...

, as reflected in its architecture. Modern Frederiksted operates at a slower pace than

Christiansted Christiansted ( , ; ) is the largest town on Saint Croix, one of the main islands of 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 found ...

, except for

carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

in January and whenever cruise ships dock in its 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.

Demographics

2020 Census

In media

Movies

*1994

The Shawshank Redemption ''The Shawshank Redemption'' is a 1994 American Prison film, prison Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella ''Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption''. The film t ...

*1986 Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story *1983

Trading Places ''Trading Places'' is a 1983 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod. Starring Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliott, and Jamie Lee Curtis, the film te ...

*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 ...

Music

*2014 Pressure (reggae musician) music video shot in Frederiksted

Renovation and revitalization

Several companies have drafted plans to refurbish and enhance the greater Frederiksted area. The Public Finance Authority retained Coastal Systems 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 plans for 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. Phase II of the project will involve reconstruction of the community waterfront north of the fort and re-creation of breakwaters, reconstruction of Paul E. Joseph Stadium, and restoration of the beach, restroom facilities, retaining pond, utilities, parking areas, and soccer fields.

Volunteers, community, and art

Volunteerism is a big part of Frederiksted. Clean Sweep Frederiksted engages volunteers in community cleanups, mural and garden projects, and other opportunities. It 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 and paintings, and sponsors scholarships. Delta Dorsch, who was born in Frederiksted, wrote ''The Role of the Storyteller in the Preservation of Virgin Islands Culture'' (1999) and contributed to ''The Glory Days of Frederiksted'' (2004) about Frederiksted's culture.'

Climate

Frederiksted 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 ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Aw'') featuring very warm to hot weather year-round. Water temperatures are usually around in winter and in September. The waters are typically very calm, as Frederiksted is in the leeward side (shadow of the island's wind) with about a tide. The sunrise varies from 5:30 a.m. in summer to 7:00 a.m. in winter. Sunset varies between 5:40 p.m. in winter to 7:10 p.m. in summer. St. Croix does not use Daylight Saving Time. The ultraviolet index varies from 10+ in the summer and a maximum of 7 in winter. Persistent easterly

trade winds The trade winds or easterlies are permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere ...

, moving from east to west across the island year round create a cool breeze. Rainforests occur on the western side of St. Croix due to the topography featuring peaks, which gather moisture from the trade winds. 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 throughou ...

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 tropical cyclone which caused severe destruction as it traversed the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in September 1998, making seven landfalls along its path. Georges was the seventh tropical storm ...

affected 15% of the island's power grid, wind and wave damage. * 1999, Oct. Category 2

Hurricane Jose (1999) Hurricane Jose was the fourteenth tropical cyclone, tenth named storm, and seventh hurricane of the annual hurricane season that caused moderate damage in the Lesser Antilles in October 1999. Jose developed from a tropical wave several hun ...

minimal damage * 1999, Nov. Category 4

Hurricane Lenny Hurricane Lenny was the strongest November Atlantic hurricane since the 1932 Cuba hurricane. It was the sixteenth tropical cyclone, twelfth named storm, eighth hurricane, and record-breaking fifth Category 4 hurricane in the 1999 Atlan ...

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 the deadliest tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin since Mitch in 1998, and the deadliest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2004. It was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurricane, and the fifth major hurricane of the se ...

* 2008, Oct. Category 1

Hurricane Omar (2008) Hurricane Omar was a powerful tropical cyclone that took an unusual southwest to northeast track through the eastern Caribbean Sea during mid-October 2008. Forming out of a tropical disturbance on October 13, Omar initially moved slowly in ...

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) Hurricane Earl was a long-lived and powerful Cape Verde hurricane that impacted the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, the East Coast of the United States, and Eastern Canada. The fifth named storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, ...

minimal damage, power outages * 2011, Aug. Tropical Storm

Hurricane Irene Hurricane Irene was a large and destructive tropical cyclone which affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States during late August 2011. The ninth tropical cyclone naming, named storm, first hurricane, and first major ...

hit St. Croix, damaging beaches * 2014, Aug. Category 1 Hurricane Bertha (2014) hit St. Croix as a tropical storm, damaging beaches * 2017, Sept. Category 5

Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Hurricane Maria, Maria two weeks later. At the time, it was considered ...

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 an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which accounted for 2,975 of the 3,059 deaths. It is the ...

passed ~10 miles south of St. Croix.

Notable people

Joe Christopher Joseph O'Neal Christopher (December 13, 1935 – October 3, 2023) was an American professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox from 1959 through 1966. He ...

, 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

and

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

* Victor Cornelins, Danish school teacher, musician, and public speaker.

External links

Fsted.com

References

{{Authority control Populated places established in 1751 Populated places in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Planned communities 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