USVI Public Records

Document text

Form No. 10-300 , aO-T*’ 1,^0'’■ UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM 5 .5" ■2-6 FOR HPS USE ONLY m i 1976 RECEIVED DATE ENTERED JUL 1 1.Q7R SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOWTO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES - COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS Qname HISTORIC Friedensfeld Midlands Moravian Church and Manse AND/OR COMMON Olocation STREETS NUMBER ■ ' f ' ■ ’ ■ c--..">7^ —NOT FOR PUBLICATION CITY, TOWNChristiansted x. vicinity of CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 1 STATE CODE 1). S. Virnin T«;1and<; 7R COUNTY CODE Cvniv nonn CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY _DISTRICT X.BUILDING(S) —STRUCTURE —SITE —OBJECT OWNERSHIP —PUBLIC ^PRIVATE —BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION —IN PROCESS —BEING CONSIDERED STATUS XOCCUPIED —UNOCCUPIED —WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE X.YES; RESTRICTED __ YES: UNRESTRICTED —NO PRESENT USE —AGRICULTURE —MUSEUM —COMMERCIAL —EDUCATIONAL —ENTERTAINMENT XRELIGIOUS —GOVERNMENT —SCIENTIFIC —INDUSTRIAL —MILITARY —PARK —PRIVATE RESIDENCE —TRANSPORTATION —OTHER: [OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME Midland Moravian Church c/o Mr. Gaveston David STREETS. NUMBER P. 0. Box 729 CITY, TOWN Christiansted STATE VICINITY OF St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION Recorder of Deeds COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC. STREETS. NUMBER Government House CITY, TOWN Christiansted. St. Croix STATE II- S. Islands a REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE Historic American Buildings Survey DATE 1959 X-FEDERAL —STATE —COUNTY —LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS National Park Service CITY, TOWN Washington STATE D. C. DESCRIPTION CONDITION -EXCELLENT -DETERIORATED —GOOD —FAIR —RUINS —UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE JlUNALTEREO —ALTERED CHECK ONE JlORIGINALSITE —MOVED DATE- DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE The Friedensfeld Moravian Church and Manse are 5.3 miles west from Fort Christian, Christiansted, St. Croix. The church is one of the largest frame structures in the islands, and is significant for its unusal combination of Carpenter's Gothic and Classical Revival elements. The present church (built 1854) is a replacement of a smaller structure dedicated in 1819. It is reported, but unverified,that the building was prefabricated in Germany, and then assembled by German craftsmen with the aid of local builders. The church is two-story frame construction over a sandstone foundation, measuring two feet in thickness. The church is a rectangle, measuring about 55' by 77', with a central section, measuring about 30' by 10', that projects one bay from the main, western facade. An addition to the east end probably dates from about 50 years later. The building has an open masonry-drain on all sides, with masonry splashblocks at inner angles of the center nave projections on the west and east end of the church. The entire structure has been sheathed and clapboarded, the earliest being beaded siding, with later, German siding used to patch deteriorated sections. The building is seven bays long by five bays wide, with entranceson three sides approached by half pyramid of steps of cut limestone. The main doorway on the west has a flat head with entablature moldings of Tuscan precedent. The first floor windows are flatheaded with slightly projecting drip cappand a molded sill boards. The second floor windows have pointed arch heads without drip caps or sill boards. The windows of the upper floor are placed immediately above those of the lower, with the window casing of the first floor continuing into that of the second, creating an effect (when the shutters are closed) of tall. Gothic lancet windows. The first floor windows have interior, two-panel jalousie shutters with movable louvers. The second floor has pointed casement windows with six rectangular panes and six smaller odd-shaped panes which are elements of a fanlight. All doors and windows are equipped with shutters, with wrought iron sill hooks, strap hinges and bar brackets. The doors have rim locks. The outside corners are articulated with heavy wood quoins, and the interior cor­ ners of the center projection with flat corner boards. There is a narrow molded sill board, but no belt course. The roof consists of three parallel gables running on the east-west axis, sheathed in wood, and covered with corrugated metal. The molded wood cornice continues across the face of the gable end. A steeple is located on the west end, an open-four-sided pavilion, supporting a double-slope concave pyramidal roof covered in sheet metal. The bell is contained in the pavilion. Immediately inside the main, western entrance of the church is a vestibule with continued... r Form No. 10-300a (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY j.:,. RECEIVED JON 2 1974... JUL 1 DATE ENTERED CONTINUATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER ^ PAGE vr,ur 13.S, Virgin-, Is lands Inventory of Historic Places May, 1976 State Virgin Island Planning Office Charlotte Amalie, U.S.V.I. GPO 892 455 Form No. 10-300a (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF fflSTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NFS USE ONLY RECEIVED g DATE ENTERED m 1 197S CONTI NU ATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 7 PAGE One two side staircases leading to the balcony, which is one bay deep and spans the north, south, and west sides. The balcony wall consists of a panelled wood lower section, crowned by a row of wrought iron pointed arches, topped by a wooden handrail. It is supported by columns, which divide the interior into a nave and two side aisles of seven bays. There are four balcony panels to each bay of the nave. The columns, which continue upwards to support the trusses, have base and capital molds, and scroll brackets. The vertical lines of the columns are continued on the face of the balcony by slightly projecting pilasters, which have elaborate moldings. The treatment of the ceiling is one of the most notable features of the church. In the nave, the sheathing and trusses are exposed and painted black. Below is a barrel vault constructed of an open-square grid with molded wood members. The grid is painted white and provides the effect of a coffered ceiling. The contrast in light value between the grid and the trusses above, is sufficient to make the trusses indiscernable. The vestibule staircases have square balusters and a mahogany handrail that spirals into a rounded nevel post. There is a double scroll design on the brackets. The two-and-a-half story manse lies about 75' to the northwest of the church, and is connected by a stone pathway. The cut limestone foundations and first floor and the frame second floor with dormers and rooms under the gable roof is typical for Moravian manse construction on the islands. The construction date of the manse is uncertain, but it may predate the church by 40 to 50 years or more. The building is a rectangle, measuring 70' by 42', with the long axis running north- south. The coursed, dressed limestone foundation is expressed on the exterior by a slightly projecting plinth approximately 18" above ground. The building is seven bays on the long axis and six bays on the short, with two entrances on the center of the second, main floor. Access to the entrance is by two limestone and stucco buttressed staircases perpendicular to the main wall, with arched niches on the side walls underneath the landing. The top of each staircase wall is rounded, and the walls fan outwards on the west side (the "welcoming arms" type) and inward on the east side. The first floor has one carriage entrance in the south and two doors on the west side of the building. All the first floor entrances have storm doors of double board construction. continued... GPO 692 455 Form No. 10-300a (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NFS USE ONLY RECEIVED ^ - DATE ENTERED 1 i97g CONTI NU ATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 7 page Two The second floor entrances have flat casings with three-sectioned interior double doors (with movable louvers in the upper two sections) and exterior storm shutters, the second floor windows are equipped with two panelled shutters and double-hung sash (six by six). The window openings have flat casings, with drip caps and slightly projecting sills. The windows in the attic at the gable ends and in the dormers are similar to the second floor windows. The manse has a gabled roof, projecting slightly over the eaves. It is sheathed in wood, and covered with cor­ rugated metal. The gable ends have molded eaves. Three dormers are riding on the cross (east-west) axis of the roof. The flanking dormers are pulled back about five feet from the main wall. The following description of the interior is based on a 1959 HABS report by Frederick Gjessing, as access was not possible: The building interior is divided into three sections of two, three and two bays respectively. The center section is divided into two rooms and the end sections into three rooms each. An enclosed wood staircase in the central section provides access to the attic and ground floor. The main floor and attic have tongue and groove pine floors. All interior walls are plastered. Ceilings are wood with exposed beams or rafters throughout. The main floor rooms have base and ceiling molds and molded door casings. The interior doors have H-and-L hinges, porcelain door knobs, rim locks, and wrought iron latches. There is a small cook house (13* by 15') about 20' from the manse to the west. The walls are constructed of coursed dressed limestone. The door and window have flat, jack arches with wood casings and gauged brick voussoirs, and the arch over the door has a keystone. Both openings are equipped with casement shutters, with hardware on the window shutter including wrought iron strap-hinges with pointed cusps, and on the door shutter, similar strap hinges with lima-bean cusps. The interior is a single undivided room with a pavement floor of limestone, rubble and brick. There is a brick chimney hood over a timber girt in the north end, with a chimney corresponding on the enterior. As one approaches the church from the entrance road, there is a small graveyard to the right immediately alongside the road. GPO 692 455 n SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD —PREHISTORIC —1400-1499 —1500-1599 —1600-1699 —1700-1799 -Xl800-1899 _xi900- areas OF SIGNIFICANCE - CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW —ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC —ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC __AGRICULTURE —ARCHITECTURE —ART —COMMERCE —COMMUNICATIONS —COMMUNITY PLANNING —CONSERVATION —ECONOMICS —EDUCATION —ENGINEERING -EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT —INDUSTRY —INVENTION —LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE —LAW —LITERATURE —MILITARY —MUSIC __PHILOSOPHY —POLITICS/GOVERNMENT X.RELIGION —SCIENCE —SCULPTURE —SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN —THEATER —TRANSPORTATION —OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES BUILDER/ARCHITECT STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Moravian missionaries were successful in Christianizing the slaves of St. . Croix, whom other denominations tended to ignore spiritually. By 1800 the Brethern/ had two flourishing mission stations on St. Croix; Friedensthal (Valley of Peace) rrear Christiansted, and Friedensberg (Hill of Peace) outside Frederiksted. In 1807 the Brethern acquired six acres from Estate Mon Bijou in midisland at Friedensfeld (Field of Peace) as the site of a third mission. Although a foundation stage was laid, con­ struction was delayed due to the disruptions caused by the 1807 - 1815 British occupa­ tion of the Danish islands. The church was completed and dedicated February 12, 1819. The ceremony was so well attended that only one-fourth of the audience could be squeezed into the new building. The church prospered with a congregation of over 2,000 reported in 1854. building is still in use by a small but active congregation. The The church and manse of Friedensfeld Moravian Church are superb examples of Moravian architecture of two different periods of construction. The two-and-a-half story manse, which probably dates to C. 1810 or earlier, represents the continuation of the typical 18th Century Moravian Manse style and building materials. The church is a very fine com­ bination of Gothic and Clasical Revival elements, kept within the bounds of the sober Moravian style. It illustrates an adaption of the traditional 18th Moravian Church style to combinations of two Revival styles popular in the mid 19th century. (major bibliographical references Gjessing, Frederick C., Historic American Buildings Survey, 1959. Maynard, G. Oliver. A History of the Moravian Church, Eastern West Indies Province, Trinidad: Yuille's Printerie Ltd., 1968. Murphy, Patricia Shaibah. The Moravian Mission to the African Slaves of the Danish West Indies, 1732 - 1828. St. Croix: Prestige f’ress, 1969. continued... EQgeographical data ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY. UTM REFERENCES a| , I I I , I , , I I . I > I , . I ZONE EASTING NORTHING 17° 44' 52" North Latitude 64° 46' 50" West Longitude iJ I I . I I ■ I Ll bLJ LLU- ZONE EASTING dLJ I . I jJ I ■ I . L1-U NORTHING xJ I I I ■ I M I VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION o^yrfr ’! , V .. LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE BflFORM PREPARED BY NAME/TITLE SaiHuel Stokos Russell Wright, Annie Hillary, Margaret Proskauer - V. I. Historic Survey ORGANIZATION Virgin Islands Planning Office DATE May 17, 1976 STREETS NUMBER P. 0. Box 2606 TELEPHONE (809) 774-1730 CITY OR TOWN Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, STATE U.S. Virgin Islands I0STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS: NATIONAL___ STATE X LOCAL As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service, STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE f" TITLE Director of Planning DATE ly^ay FDRNPSUSE ONLY ) HEREBY CERTIFY TKATfHigrpROPERTY^SJ^CLUDED tNlHE pfliNiL ^ 1 w DIRE ATTES-fao^' DATE OF ARCHEOLOGI^D m KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER STORIC PRE^RVATION DATE 4 ‘ 7^ GPO 892.453 Form No. 10-300a (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NFS USE ONLY REGEIVED - DATE ENTERED JUL 1 1976 CONTI NU ATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 9 PAGE Three St. Croix Agricultural Reporter. September 28, 1864. Christiansted; P. B. Hatchett. Interview: Roger Kimball, Pastor, Friedensberg, Frederiksted, St. Croix, May 12, 1976. Interview by Margaret Proskauer and Annie Hillary. Interview: Gaveston David, Lay Pastor, Midlands Moravian Church, St. Croix, May 12, 1976. Interview by Margaret Proskauer and Annie Hillary. GPO 892 455 Property Friedensfeld Midlands Moravian Church and Manse ^-h i Jk5 state working Number^ TECHNICAL Photos___ Maps / UfU ^ CONTROL M 7C, HISTORIAN /|cce^ ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN ARCHEOLOGIST ■■ 1 1 OTHER r *. 'i HAER Inventory Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF GLccjzp blb-7U BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER r- National Register Write-up __________ Send-back Federal Register Entry ^•‘3’^"^Co Re-submit Entered joLi m I N T :2 1 06- 74 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WASO No. 7 ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE V^?vGX:t ItLIdXDS JUL 1 ^76 Date Entered Name Location '01 Diamond School j rirledonefcld lUdlands Moravian Church I and Mansa Botany Bay Archoologicel District Enlghed or Euigbenad hawet Gran&rd Archeological District Aklia Archeological Site River Archeological Site Chrletlanetcd vicinity St. Croix County Christiansted vicinity St. CrVix'Cbun’ty Charlotte Aioalie vicinity St. Thomas County Crus Bay St. John County Christiansted vicinity St. Croix County Frederiketed vldlnity St. Croix County Frederiketed vicinity St. Croix County Also Notified Hon. Ron De Lugo Regional Director, Southeast Region PR MMott/row 7/7/76 State lllstoirlc Preservation Officer Hr. Tliomas Blake Plraming Director Virgin Islands Planning Board Charlotte Amalie St. Tlioms, Virgin Islands 00301 INT:2950-75 i l^'V N"R DsitOj Sli©©t jif ifft . ririp (2) NAME AS IT APPEARS IN FEDERAL RECIST^ 1 1976 OTHER KAFESs LOCATION^ ^ tTNiCr* NUM8Q STATf OWNER OF property: ADMINISTRATOR(underline)- FEDERAL (AGENCY MAJIE) ; UPS REGION: (CIRCLE) N.ATLANTIC MID ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST MIDWEST SOUTHl-ffiST ROCKY I®UNTAIN WEST PACIFIC NORTffliEST features: ICSi: MTEP.ICR JXTTPIOP. /jtPJXPOrs Substantially intact-1 j^Substar.tially intact-2 Jl Substantially intact-3 -unknown-4 _ unknown .-5 unknown -6 -not applicable - 7 _ not applicable - 8 ^Not applicable-9 —Interior, exterior, environs not intact-0 CONDITION- -tXCELUNT J^ETtRlORATEO/' ^NAITEREO V^^RWINAl SITE -®““ -AITEREO _„CVE0 —**"* —UNEXROSto -Reconstructed —Dnknewn -Onexcavate<4 -Excavated ACCESS- ^ :------------j _ Qjfes-restricte^ Yes-unrestricted No access Cnknown lustoric district ? yes ^ KZTHIH NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT? IF YES, NAME: taiHZN NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK? IP YES, d*AME: ADAPTIVE use; YES YES Saved ? YES NO FUNCTION (S); (use ’TOcabulary words) then- ^ now- significance: j^y^^aCNEOlUliT.RREHISrORIC —ARCHEOLOeVHISTORIC (/ ^GRICUirURE 7 Iarcmitecture -ART —COMMERCE —COMMUNICATIONS .ri Claims —CONSERVATION —ECONOMICS —EDUCATION —INCINCERING —EXnORATION —INOUSTRT —INVENTION J^E —tANOSCAPE ARCHITECTURE XREUCION -lAW/(k)'v't/politicS -SCIENCE —UTERATURE —MIUTARY —MUSIC —PMU.OSOPHV —FOUnCS/COVERNMENT - —.entertainment —health —recreation -SoaAUHUMANiTARiAN -Settlement .■"I ‘3 —TRANSPORTATION —OTHER ISPICIfTI —socio/cultural —urban & commun planning ■'V first-’ YES NO oldest’-’ YES NO '*onlyl? YES NO :iIITECTUJiAL style; :Iiilec(/m.bui]floi-T / ARCTIITEC archilec(/m .bu i Jde r: lancIscajK/garden designer; engineer; ^ artist/artisan: \ builder/contractor: ' engineer; jsigner; \ interior decorator; ethnic group: personal names: (label role 6 appropriate date) events institutional ^ ____ fAMAX- iasdkj-lO(i4^C DATES. DATE OF CONSTRUCTION (Specific date or 1/4 of century): DATE(S) OF "MAJOR" ALTERATIONS: /^?S'/9/'0 CkoXJj^4<^ HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT DATE (S) : ^ SOURCE, (OJ. NOMINATION) PRT/ATE (^STATE^ OTHER FEDERAL’AGENCY; ^iCREAGE. (to nearest tenth of an acre) LOCAL GOV'T MUNICIPAL COUNTY COMIMENTS: (include architectural information here) (maximum two sentences)