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Forin 10-306 (Ocf. 1972) ■ UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR FEDERAL PROPERTIES (Type all entries - complete applicable sections) STATE! U.S, Virgin Islarids FOR NFS USE ONLY ENTRY DATE L NAME ________________________________ ■ Dlfi Pnirh Office and niiRt.mnViouse on the WbflT»f < AND/OR HISTORIC; /- V ' fti!W T)qni sh West Tndia and Qiiinea Qomp?^y Warehouse ) tm 2. LOCATION - STREET AND NUMBER: nftflgTTER-rof Chiorch and Comnany Streets CITY OR TOWN; ^ j Ohristianstad^ . flrriTTr J '' 'siv /x-l CONGRESSIONAL DISTRIcV^^ Not ApplicableX; ■‘\<x STATE: CODE ' U. ,Ss, Yirgxn„IglandsIJQ__ ^ COUNTY: i'^ODE 3. CLASSIFICATION |||||||||||||||;|||||||||||;||||i|||||||;;;|||||||||||||^ CATEGORY (Check One) OWNERSHIP STATUS ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC 1 1 District Building □ Site Structure 1 1 Object [XI Public [ 1 Private 1 1 Both Public Acquisition: [ 1 In Process 1 1 Being Considered [XI Occupied 1 1 Unoccupied 1 1 Preservation work in progress Yes: 5Cl Restricted 1 1 Unrestricted □ No PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate^ 1 1 Agricultural (29 Government Q Pork |2] Tronsportation 1 1 Commerciol ( 1 Industrial | I Private Residence 1 1 Other (Soecifv) { 1 Comments □ Educationol [;□ Military □ 1 1 Entertainment Museum ] RBliqimis TT. 'x- Pnp+. nffinp ]Srienfifir TI. S. nnstomR nff-iop. «/»z o H U 3 0£ t- «/> Z 111 UJ «/» I 4. AOENCY _____________________ _______ General Services Administration S T A T U.S REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS: r//applicafa/e; STREET AND NUMBER: • n pi CITY OR TOWN: ' STATE: CODE San Juan Puerto Rico RQ 5> location of LEGAL DESCRIPTION _____________________________________ COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: Recorder of Deeds, Virgin Islands Government House STREET AND NUMBER: #3 King Street CITY OR TOWN: STATE: CODE Christiansted, St. Croix U. S. Virgin Islands VQ U. RePRESEKTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS ... TITLE OF survey; Hlstorlc American Building Survey Photodatum Book on Danish West India and Guinea Comnanv Warehouse DATE OF survey; 1958 Federal □State 1 1 County □ Locol DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS; Office of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, National Park Service STREET AND NUMBER: Interior Building, Virginia Avenue. N. W. CITY OR TOWN; Washingtonj STATE: D. C, 202L0 s i m zH X < 2 C m 3) CONDITION I i Excellent (xl □ Fair (Check One) 1 1 Deteriorated I I Ruins I 1 Unexposed (Check One) [^Altered | 1 Unaltered (Check One) □ Moved rSg Original Site DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE The Danish West India and Guinea Company Warehouse and related out­ buildings occupy an irregularly shaped city block bounded by King Street on the north. Hospital Street on the east. Company Street on the south and Church Street on the west. The grade falls approximately eight feet from the southwest to the northeast corner. The main structure is "L" shaped, consisting of a twp-story, hip-roofed south wing running the full length of the southern property line adjoining Company Street, and a story and one-half, dormered, mansart-roofed west wing running along a portion of the western property line adjoining Church Street. An iron gate and alley to an inner courtyard separate the north wall of the west wing from a one-story kitchen, which in turn adjoins an above-grade cistern which extends to the northwest comer of the property. Two additional above-grade cisterns ad­ join this cistern and extend east on the north property line and terminate in an exterior stair leading to the covered cistern roofs. A second one- story kitchen building and outside oven is located in the northeast comer of the property. A wall joins the southeast comer of this kitchen and the northeast corner of the south wing of the main building, thereby comple­ ting the enclosure of the courtyard. This wall contains an iron gate op­ posite the gate and alley to the west. An exterior monumental stair from courtyard level to the second floor of main building is located in the angle of the "L", and rises throu^ a portion of a fourth cistern. All courtyard and building walls are stuccoed imported Danish "bal­ last brick" masonry and rubble construction. The exterior faces of main building walls are increased several inches in thickness from grade to approximately three to eight feet above grade to form a stylobate. The horizontal line thus formed establishes the height of courtyard walls and serves as a strong unif^dng element. First floor windows of both wings have stucco surrounds; second floor windows of the south wing have none. A stucco string course is just below second floor window sill level of the south wing, and the parapet of the north wall of the west wing has a decora­ tive stucco coping. This is also the only wall of the complex with stucco quoins at its corners. The eastern stuccoed masonry gateposts are quoined and capped with decorative pediments with dentils below; the western gate­ posts are flanked with decorative arched niches and support a decorative coping. Plain stuccoed surfaces are painted yellow; stucco trim and wood­ work are painted white, except shutters are painted green. The corrugated iron roofs of the main building wings are of recent origin; original roofs were probably wood shingle. Rainwater from the main building roofs is conducted by gutters and leaders to the cisterns, which remain in use. The shed roof of the northwest kitchen is probably flat brick on purlins and joists with galvanized metal overlay. The north­ east kitchen has a gabled galvanized metal roof on wood frame constmction. The northeast kitchen has an interior fireplace and brick chimney; the large brick exterior oven at the northeast kitchen is protected by a flat brick roof supported by wood purlins and beams. All windows incl-uding m m z H yo co H O Z </* Form lO-SOOo (July 1969) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY • NOMINATION FORM ('Continuation Sheet) STATE u.s. Virgin Islands COUNTY - FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER DATE ________nr.T 0__19M. (Number ail entriee) 7. Description dormers are shuttered; however, nuts, bolts, screws, frames, sash, doors and shutters are of recent manufacture. The interiors of the main buildings have been extensively remodelled, and early construction cannot be visually determined. The general decor is simplified Renaissance with traces of Baroque, and reflects the influence of the French Ecole des Beaux-Arts through the Danish Academy. West Indian influence is evident in the monumental exterior stair, the absence of fireplaces and chimneys in living quarters, second floor loca­ tion of living quarters above first floor warehouse and office space, and the probable original use of wood roof shingles, storm shutters, and louvered ventilating shutters. Originally constructed ca. 1750 and remodelled in 1838 and 1939, the early basic shell of the building remains intact. MAY 9 1974 GPO 921-724 8. SIGNIFICANCE iiiiiiiiiIiii iiii iiiiiiIiiiiiiiiiii iii^ iiii iiiii iiiiiiiliiIIiiiiiiii 11 PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) I 1 Pre-Columbian i [ 1 5th Century I 1 16th Century 1 I 17th Century 18th Century nC 19th Century I I 20th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) gfApp»cab/e and Known; 1 7;|D ' Fi th-mugh POT-I y 1 9m I p AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Aboriginal Prehistoric r." Historic I I Agriculture i^n Architecture □ Art [3 Commerce (5^ Communications I I Conservation I I Educotion 1 I Engineering [ 1 Industry i I Invention I I Landscape Architecture I I Literature □ Military I I Music QQ Political I 1 Reli gion/Phi- iosophy I I Science [ 1 Sculpture I I Social/Humon- itarion 1 I Theater [ I Transportation □ Urban Planning □ Other ('Specify^ Z o H O 3 Qi H- i/> z UJ UJ STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE St. Croix was the most prosperous island in the Danish West Indies, and during the 18th and early 19th centuries extremely productive and wealthy. The Danish West India and Guinea Warehouse in Christiansted was the center of the colony's commercial activity during the 18th centviry. This fact alone establishes unusual historic significance for this building. It continued as an integral part of the city's commerce through the 19th cent-ury, at one time housing a Panama Telegraph and Cable Company office, and now containing a U. S. Post Office substation on the first floor and U. S. Customs on the second floor. Although documentation has not been completed, it is certain that most exterior masonry walls are original or of early date. Exterior reno­ vations have been limited to normal maintenance items, and the general configuration of the building has not been altered since the early 19th century. The building is of architectural significance not only as a repre­ sentative example of colonial Danish West Indian architecture and West Indian Architecture generally, but also as part of a unique townscape bear­ ing comparison to European Court Towns of the 18th centiiry. This signifi­ cance was recognized in 1952 when this building was one of six included within the Christiansted National Historic Site. m \r^\ national register 9, MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL RCI^ERENCES ___________________________ Gjessing, Frederik; HABS Photodatw Book on Danish West India and Guinea Company Warehouse; (unpublished); Office of Archaeology & Historic Pre- servation. National Park Service, Washington, D. C., ca. 1958. Olsen, Herbert; Historic Structures Report, Part 1, Library Building (Old Danish Post Office and Customs House). Christlansted, St. Cro;^. U. S. Virgin Islands; National Park Service, Washington, D. C.; 1961, pp. 78, 82, Fig. 8, p, 85. 10 QgOGRAPHlCAL PATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY 0 p LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUDE l\ LATITUDE LONGI TUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds NW O > M O * M O 1 II O 1 II NE O 1 ,» O 1 II SE 0 t M O 1 II SW 0 » >t O 1 II APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY; QnO aCrO •1-j.ST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COu4^V< feOtlNDAiRIES': STATE; Received '• ^ '• - i MAY 9 1974 p. NATICMAL CODE hi. FORM PREPARED BY iiJO «/* m m z </>H •nc n H O z NAME AND TITLE: Hfi-r.schel E. Sheuard. Vice-President DATE: BUSINESS ADDRESS: Fisher & Shepard, Architects & Planners, Inc. STREET AND NUMBER: /i TTtvi vfiTST tiV T^lvd. North PHONE: (904) 725-1112 CITY OR TOWN: " STATE -Tpr'Vcin'pip n fa Florida 32211 CODE 12 ll2. CERTIFICATION OF NOMINATION State Liaison Officer recommendation: ® Yes state Liaison Officer Signature In compliance with Executive Order 11593, I hereby nominate this property to the National Register, certify­ ing that the State Liaison Officer has been allowed 90 days in which to present the nomination to the State Re­ view Board and to evaluate its significance. The recom­ mended level of significance is □ National State Federal Representative Signature * Historic Preservatioa Date Liaison Offt^ex NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register. Director, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation Date . ATTEST: Keeper of The National Regi^r Dare / jj . ‘ ^ .GPO 938.449 WORKING NUMBER TECH REVIEW Photos_^ Maps __/ CONTROL REVIEW HISTORIAN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN ARCHEOLOGIST V REVIETuInrCHW BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER National Register write-up __________ • Federal Register entry /^/ 3’/~7CyL / T-----^ Send-back Re-submit Entered OCT 9 1974 INTr 741-73 MORTH STS 70 Wrincess \ \ 5'Ai'Ruin^ 1T;®45'30"- 506 ---------A, Reef o .'S 44®43'00" ^ Beauregard i S-ishl •S“ CHRISTIANSTED * L—^ ; I , HARBOR. J^j Altona^__^ Lagoon ^ Protestant, Cay • . O •: SubSta ( allows -^-SM 'A^'^ j^j'uinsCf^^os ? ^ ° iurrwoi/.nAf. Fort 'J Christiar Grove Ftedensdal ^=i,x.Herman \ Contentment ' CHRISTIANSTED, V. I N 1740.5—W6440.5/7.5 (O iO 1958 I7» 44' 54" 64® 42' H" ajwI/Spi4p^Cardefi /;' L-7 uins i60 ^ Annas Hope SCALE 1:24000 0 1 MILE tMWsttp 7i\P 1000 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 FEET 1 KILOMETER i .1... \X ' ^'00^ \ A------- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION Public Buildings Service Washington, D C 20405 APR 2 6 19F} HDnorable Nathaniel P. Seed Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Departinent of the Interior Washington, D.C. 20240 Dear J4r. Reed; « , * ' ReceiveO 1 Cb 1 NATIONAL , REGISTER In cjorplianoe with Executive Order 11593, issued by President Nixon on flay 13, 1971, to locate and evaluate potentially liistoric proi^erties un<^ ovo: jurisdiction, v?e have ccEpleted extensive researxah on our buildings across the oomtry and have prepared ncsmnation papers to list than on the National Register of Historic Places. buildings is the seccaSJ^ Enclosed are ncinination forrns for 25 buildings by the General Services Arfciinistration (€SA). This is the seccsSJ^stallment of ncsninations prepared for historic Federal buildings. AtMitional nctnina- tions will be forvrarcted to your office v;ithin the next few months. Mstoric preservation is a top priority program at GSA, and it is our intent to provide protection for our historic buildings and enhance t>ieir prestige by having them listed on the National Itegister. Sincerely, (signed) I. F- ROUSH Commissioner Public Buildings Service Enclosures ■ v'i f,;c- ■ / Keep Freedom in Tour Future With U.S. Savings Bonds ? - ■ : ■ jvt, ' - ■ ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE ?nt6IN ISLANDS Date Entered OCT 9 W4 Name Location Danlsli ZndiA «ndi Gulf Chrlatijauitttd St. Croix I^/aild Also Notified Hon. Ron D« Lugo Mr. Steven &. Rutteabeom, GSA Regional Director, Soudieast Region State Historic Preservation Officer Mr. Thesaaa Blake, Planning Director Virgin Islends Planning Board Charlotte Aealie St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 00810 MMott/tow 10/16/74 ..■;s