Liever Marches Bay Historic District
JUL 2 3 1981 APPENDIX B LIEVER MARCHES BAY HISTORIC DISTRICT DESCRIPTION Liever Marches Bay is a shallow bight on the north shore of St. John immediately east of Brown Bay. The 450 feet of shingle beach is backed by a triangle of less than 4 acres of level land flanked by the steep slopes of spurs extending northward from the spine of the east end ridge of St. John. The ruins of what appears to be a rendering plant or an abattoir is located 30 feet behind the shoreline and to the east and southeast of the ruins are two wells with watering troughs. Liever Marches Bay is named on the Oxholm survey of 1780 and on the Oxholm map of St. John of 1800 but not on any later map of St. John nor does any survey or map of St. John indicate the presence of the structures, agricultural activity or other development of the valley behind Liever Marches Bay. It is assumed that the abattoir or rendering plant was erected sometime during the mid-19th century when raising of livestock in many parts of St. …
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JUL 2 3 1981 APPENDIX B LIEVER MARCHES BAY HISTORIC DISTRICT DESCRIPTION Liever Marches Bay is a shallow bight on the north shore of St. John immediately east of Brown Bay. The 450 feet of shingle beach is backed by a triangle of less than 4 acres of level land flanked by the steep slopes of spurs extending northward from the spine of the east end ridge of St. John. The ruins of what appears to be a rendering plant or an abattoir is located 30 feet behind the shoreline and to the east and southeast of the ruins are two wells with watering troughs. Liever Marches Bay is named on the Oxholm survey of 1780 and on the Oxholm map of St. John of 1800 but not on any later map of St. John nor does any survey or map of St. John indicate the presence of the structures, agricultural activity or other development of the valley behind Liever Marches Bay. It is assumed that the abattoir or rendering plant was erected sometime during the mid-19th century when raising of livestock in many parts of St. John had replaced more in- tensified agricultural pursuits and completely nn both the large adjoining es- tates of Hermitage and Brown Bay. The masonry walls of the abattoir are in fair condition and still stand to plate height except for a section of the northeast corner. The site is of considerable local interest as the plant is the only one of its kind known to have been preserved. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The abattoir of Liever Marches Bay is the only one of its kind on St. John and is significant as the illustration of the changing in agricultural practices from the cultivation of sugar cane and cotton to raising of cattle. Latitude Longitude Acreage: 4 acres 18° 21' 15" 64° 42' 06" There are no UTM references on any published maps of the U.S. Virgin Islands. VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION The Historic District of Liever Marches Bay is bounded to the north by the low water line of the bay starting and ending at the cliffs that flank the pebble beach and towards the west, south and east the 40 foot contour line. The "boundaries are defined to include all the level land "behind the "bay and all parts of the historic resource. Appendix B, Historic District CLASSIFIED STRUCTURE FIELD ' INVENTORY REPORT (Attach 4f^B&W Photo) ' ' . ,V _ T NFS ORGANIZATION REGION. South east _____ PARK/AREA NAMEVirgin Islands Nat'1 Park CODE NO. 5360 ... ; STRUCTURE NAME Rendering 'Plant, Liever Marches Bay STRUCTURE NO. H-35,.J . OKOJiK OK SWNIKl'CANfilS: . National | [ State 1 j Local 1 y LOCATION OF STRUCTURE: North shore of St. John Of Brown Bay. UTM REFERENCE: A Ll Zone LI. E a s ting Northing CLASS VI LAND ACREAGE (if not: part of a complex or district:: acres. STRUCTURE; Type of, and composition: One story rectangular, rubble masonry ....building.___________________________________________ Physical Description; The rubble and brick masonry walls of a one story rectan- gular building 24'x36' feet is located approximately 30' back from the shoreline on' the west side of the small valley. All walls stand to their full plate height except £oi\.the northeast corner. Sea action appears to have undermined the fop tin?; s of this part of the building and caused its collapse. A doorway is .centered in the west lonff wall of the building raised two steps above the existing grade. There are 2 •window openings in the west wall north of the doorway. The east wall has 3 win- dow, openings placed opposite the doorway and -windows of the west wall. The north wall has 2 windows and an additional door-way. At the base of the south wail thcje arc several vent and firing openings now partially buried by accumulation oFl^rbi' i s, The southern Third of the interior has a slightly lower floor level than tlTo rest of the building and a boiling bench against the south wall with imprints in the masonry Q..Li.h.CL.1 axp:e__. str_aiglit sided circular pots. No traces of a chimney have been___ observed on tn~e exterior ancTit is possible that it may have been an interior one built against the south west corner. The building had a hipped roof. (continue on reverse if necessary) ,' PRESENT CONDITION:Excellent! (Good Ruina [ X] Unaltered *f Altered Fair (__|. Deteriorated] Original, Site 1 x] Moved |__| Liever Marches Bay is named on the Oxholm survey of 1780 and on the Oxholm map of St. John of 1800 but not on any later map of St. John nor does any survey of map of St. John indicate the presence of the structures, agricultural activity or other development of the valley behind Liever Marches Bay. Since no docu- mentary references have been uncovered as yet, it is assumed that the abattoir or rendering plant was erected sometime during the mid-19th century when raising of livestock in many parts of St. John had replaced more intensified agricultural pursuits. The site is of considerable local interest as the plant is th« only one of its kind known to -have been preserved. Latitude 18°21 I 15" Longitude 64°42'06" Appendix B, Historic'District CLASSIFIED STRUCTURE FIELD; IIWKNTORY REPORT ————————(Attach 4r'x5Tn Ji&W Photo) - NPS ORGANIZATION __ PARK/AREA NAME Virgin Islands Nat'1 Park CODE NO. 5360 REGION Southeast STRUCTURE NAME Well & Drinking Trough No. 1 Liever Marches Bay OHDI-K OK SIGNIFICANCE: National I| , • State 1 | STUUCTUKIi; NO. Locnl ?. LOCATION OF STRUCTURE iSKi norm snore ot Zone Easting j onn xmmeaiaceiy east of Bro-wn : i III A 1 _ | _ I | _ j _ I _ j J II j • 1 _ j _ ] _ Northing CLASS VI>LAND ACREAGE (ii' not part of a complex or district:: acres. STRUCTURE; Type of, and composition: A circular well with a linear dr inking ___ toough constructed in rubble, masonry __________________ Physical Description : A circular well 6' in diameter constructed in rubble masonry is located '. about . 90' southeast of the rendering plant H- 35. 1 . A lino.ii' jd_i:rn kjin g trough constructed in rubble masonry, 4' wide and raised approximately 2' above grade extends west from the well. ______________________________________ Liever Marches Bay is .named on the Oxholm survey of ,_1.7&,Q ....and pn of St. John of 1800 but not on any later map of St. John nor does an survey or map of St. John indicate the presence of the structures, agricultural activity or othc r development of the valley behind Liever Marches Bay. Since no documentary re- ferences have been uncovered as yet, it is assumed that the abattoir or rendering plant was erected sometime during the mid -19th century when raising of 1:1. Yjc_stoc_k in many parts of St. John had replaced more intensified agricultural pursu i_t s_. __ The site is of considerable local interest as the plant is the only one of its kind _ Vno"wnto™Have been preserved. _______________ _____ Latitude 18°21'15" Longitude 64 U42'Q6^ (continue oi\ reverse if necossavy) PRESENT CONDITION: Excelleut I | Good!' Ruins [Xj . Unaltered flcj Altered Fair j [ Dctcriorateclj_^ Original Site lx I Moved I j Appendix B, Historic District CLASSIFIED STRUCTURE FIELD INVENTORY REPORT (Attach ^^"TB&W Photo) REG ION Southeast NPS ORGANIZATION PARK/AREA NAMEVirgin Islands Nat'1 Park CODE NO. 5360 STRUCTURE NAMiiWell & Drinking Trough No. 2,__________ Liever Marches Bay OHDKK OK SKJNIKICANCK: National I | . • State j ] STRUCTURE NO. H-35, 3 Local LOCATION OF STRUCTURE; On north shore of St. -John immediately east of Brown Day. UTM REFERENCE: i (111 ! CLASS VI ' LAND ACREAGE (if not: A J_i_J j_j_|_| J I I t_!_I_1_! I fl i part of a complex or district: Zone Easting Northing ______ acres. STRUCTURE; Type of, and composition: A circular masonry well with attached masonry drinking trough.______________________i_______________ Physical Description; A circular well with a diameter of 7' constructed in__ plastered rubble masonry is located 100 yds ease of the assumed renderin g. J2lnii H-35. 1, A sickle shaped drinking trough is wrapped around the western sides o£ trough is 4 ijwith the^ handle of/the sickle extending north from the well. The driiiMnjx. i'o" wide and raised aout Z' above grade. It is constructed"!].! plastered masonry. ______________________________________________________ Licvers Mar die's Bay .is named on the Qxholrn survey of 1780 and on the Oxholm map of St. John of 1800 but not on any later map of St. John nor docs any survey 01. map St, John indicate the presence^of the structur e s , a g r i cultur al a cti vity or ^o the r development of tEic valley pehind Liever Marches Say. Since no documentary re- ferences have, be en uncovered as yet, it is assumed that the abattoir or rendering plant was erected sometime during the mid- 19th century when raising of livestock in many parts of St. John had replaced more intensified agricultural pursuits. The site is considerable local interest as the plant is the only one of its kind ____ known to have been preserved. Latitude 18 U21'15" Longitude 64 U42'Q6 (continue oi\ reverse if ncccssciryj PRESENT CONDITION:Excellent i (Good Ruins Unaltered Altered Fair 1 j Deteriorated^ _ Original Site I y| Moved j_j 3 Liever Marches Bay Maho Bay Quarter, Sty John, Virgin Islam ( I/J? /U fctL - VC\^JL /TL^^r • Photo credit: F. C. Gjessing date of photo 7/6/76 Negative filed at Virgin Islands National Park North wall of rendering plant H-35,1 r/ r*3t x** Rendering Plant Liever Marches Bay Maho Bay Quarter* St. John, Virgin Islands \ (itf /LM- PfcJL ••/&*/'• $> • 6^-W Photo Credit: F.C. Gjessing Date of Photo 7/6/76 Negative filed at Virgin Islands National Park Interior of rendering plant H-35-1 showing traces of pots in north wall. •*—r ' I.", Well and Drinking Trough No. 2 Liever Marches Bay Maho Bay Quarter, St. John, Virgin Islands (tff /vdj. PeJi/yuJf- l^ Photo credit: Fj-C. Gjessing Date of photo 7/6/76 Negative filed at Virgin Islands National Park Well and Drinking Trough No. 2, H-35, 3 viewed from the southeast.