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JUL 'i 3 1981 APPENDIX B REEF BAY GREAT HOUSE HISTORIC DISTRICT DESCRIPTION The site of Reef Bay Great House Historic District is on a small spur extending into Reef Bay Valley from Bordeaux Mountain to the east, approximately 1,000 yards inland from the shoreline of the bay. The district contains the Great House, a servants house, a stable, a privy and a well. The elevation is about 250 feet above sea level and it is reached by a trail that branches off the Reef Bay-Lameshur Trail. The Great House is still partially roofed but several bearing masonry walls show signs of failure and on the interior all woodwork is badly deteriorated as are exterior and interior masonry finishes. The masonry walls of the servants quar- ters and the stable still stand to plate height in a deteriorated condition. The cookhouse, the privy and the walls of the semi-circular terrace on the north side of the Great House have collapsed as has the once roofed terrace to the south of the Great House. Reef Bay Great House is the most important architectural monument within the Virgin Islands National Park and a significant example of West Indian architec- ture. Considered in connection with the remains of Reef Bay Sugar Factory and its historical association with the various ruins within the confines of Reef Bay Valley, it ranks as the most complete exhibit of the plantation economy of the West Indies within the Virgin Islands. Its spectacular and well-planned setting makes it a noteworthy example of historic landscaping, both for the qua- lity of the design and its rarity. Reef Bay Great House was originally the Great House of Par Force. The existing building dates from the early 19th cen- tury but it contains within its shell the masonry base of an earlier wood building, In its present form the Great House is an excellent example of a severely formal classical revival design with well conceived and sophisticated detailing that is carried through on the service buildings and in the retaining walls and fences. The incongruity between the formality and controlled symmetry of the architecture and the irregular topography of the setting has by the builder or the designer been turned to an advantage. Retaining walls, fences and steps direct the ap- proaches and provide changing views of both the buildings and of the surroundings that soften and enrich the severity of the architecture. The original planting of the terraced landscaping has, been choked out by bush and can only be guessed at, but sufficient remains of the terraces to provide an idea of the formalized landscape intended. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Reef Bay Great House complex is significant as a distinguished architectural ex- pression in a neo-classical manner, that within a time frame of contemporary buildings, is of a highly sophisticated design as well as a true adaptation to the West Indies and to its setting. Latitude Longitude Acreage: 5 acres 18° 19 1 54" 64° 44 1 25" There are no UTM references on any published maps of the U.S. Virgin Islands VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION Except for a small flat approximately 150 feet by a 100 feet northwest of the Reef Bay Great House, the terrain around the complex is very steep and without any distinctive natural or man-made features. As it is located in a protected area the boundaries of the Historic District have been arbitrarily set as the area bounded towards the west and east as longitude 64° 44 f 23" and 64° 44' 27" and towards the north and south as latitude 18° 19' 56" and 18° 19' 52". . . , Historic REGIONSoutheast 2 3 1981 _______STRUCTURE FIELD INVENTORY REPORT (Attach 4"x5" B&W Photo)•' NPS ORGANIZATION PARK/AREA NAMEyjrgin Islands 'Nat'1 Park . CODE NO, STRUCTURE NAME .Reef Bay Great House STRUCTURE NO. ORDER OF SIGNIFICANCE: National II State T.or.fll I I LOCATION OF STRUCTURE: 1 '2 rniles south of Centerline Rd , Reef Bay Valley on trail to ________ .,_...._ ____ _ . ______ T .am eg.hu I* n _______ — UTM REFERENCE: i i I I II CLASS VI L^0 ACREAGE (if not A L.I-J II J 1 J I I LJ_J_J _ 1 I * I Part of a complex or district: - Zone Easting Northing _ „__.. acres. STRUCTURE; Type.of, and composition; Plastered Prick and Rubbles masonry dwelling i rectangular in plan one-story high basement. ___________. Physical Description; The building is one story with a partial basement under the north and west side of the structure. On the lower west side, the basement is on On the south and east side, the grade is at first floor level. The building Tf. is r.obstructed in rubble masonry with brick de. ?* f? ^ pn-m^rs a.fyri a.ymind maspnry openings. Except for pavements and steps, all masonry surfaces are plastered or stuccoed. The roof is partially a flat brick roo/ on wood beams and partially a hipped wood roof with metal roofing. Floors are wood on wood beams. A large double masonry stairway leads to a small porch in < front of the main entrance on the west fact of the building. The brick roof of the porch is supported on four Tuscan colums. A smaller porch on two columns of similar design shields the rear entrance on the east side of the building. It is , severely symmetrical around an east-west axis. Two arcaded. galleries to the south and north flank a center core that is accentuated by additional height. The core is 4 by5 bays with two windows on either side of the entrances and four doors leading from the interior to the south and north gallery respectively. On the exterior base, floorand rail levels, as well as window and door stucco banding. A dentil course and a openns si-mplp cyma recta moulding forrti (continue on reverse if necessary) PRESENT CONDITION: Ruins | | Excellent Unaltered ) Good Altered j Fair 1 ~| Deteriorated(X Original Site | X iMoved the classical revival cornice. The parapet wall rf».< >e cornice is divided into'Ypanels by stucco banding and -'the corners carry acroterionsv "The flanking /'*' ' * ' l' > I *' ' i ' '' ' • galleries have stucco,banding of corners and base, stucco panels-above and below the arches, keystones, spring mouldings, parapet mouldings and on the parapet, doined finials and acroterions. A. similar detailing is given the •'; porches. The plaster work is well executed and the design very sophisticated. The interior has trim around dopr and window openings and cornice mouldings in plaster. '. - ' . ' The Great tyouse is still under roof and with all walls standing. All-woodwcfrk, however, including rafters and t^eams have deteriorated beyond repair and ' within recent y'ears, structural failure of the masonry can be observed in the front and south section of the building. Finishes inside and out are fragmentary only, kbofing throughout has deteriorated. Latitude 18°19'54" , Lonj-• -le''64°44 1 Z5 n Appendix B, Historic District CLASSIFIED STRUCTURE FIELD INVENTORY REPORT JUL 23 198! REGION Southeast (Attach 4lTx5" B&W Photo) NPS ORGANIZATION PARK/AREA NAME Virgin Islands Nat'1 Park.CODE NO. 5360 STRUCTURE NAME" Cook House, Reef Bay Great House Complex STRUCTURE NO'. H-15. 2 ORDER OF SIGNIFICANCE: National || State [x"1 Local [__ LOCATION OF STRUCTURE: l\ mile south of Centerline Rd, Reef Bay Valley QII trail to . _ . . . , JL/cllYlCS tllll* _ ^____ . UTM REFERENCE: i i I | 1 I CLASS VI LAND ACREAGE (.if not A I_|_I I_j_j^_| J | I |_J_J_\_1 I j I part of a complex or district: Zone Easting UJ-L-Li North i-n g acres. .STRUCTURE Type of and composition: ' -mastered r>ricK ana ruppie masonry rect- angular in plan one -story. _____________________________________ Physical Description; The Cook House is located in front and to the west of the _ main house, ten feet below its first floor level. It is a one-story rubble masonr y structure 24'2xl4'2" with a Dutch oven built into the soutwest corner. The _______ .exterior walls vary in thickness from 2 '3" to 2'6"; the interior is divided into tw o almost equal sized rooms. The room to the north contained the kitchen with _a___ masonry range along the west wall. Two doors in the east and north wall respect" ivel rovided light and additional ventilation to the interior. The south room ha s nnr> dnnr in frhf? gast wall. The south end wall of the cook house now stands only 2'6" above the original floor level, while the back west wall of the cook house stands to a height of 8' measured from outside grade level, or 6'6" from interior pavement level. The cook house was plastered throughout and had the same banding of corners and openings as the other buildings of the Latitude 18 19'54" Longitude 64°44'Z5 (continue on reverse if necessary) PRESENT CONDITION: Excellent Ruins Ix) Unaltered X [ Good Altered Fair [|Deteriorated! Original Site |x iMoved . ,.<,_. __. . . _.- msmvk^mi Appendix B, Historic District REGION Southeast ^i- NTRUCTURE FJ7. •'.. INVtMNVUivY. RKJ.Wi' (Attach 4Mx5'r "li&W Photo) NPS ORGANIZATION PARK/AREA NAMEVirgin Islands .Nat'1 Park CODE NO. 5360 STRUCTURE NAMg Servants' Quarters, Reef Bay-Great House ORDER OF SIGNIFICANCE: National I I State fxl 1 f ••^•^^••J . m . Ai^AAM* STRUCTURE NO. H-15 r 3 , Local I I < . „ .. ^^«M**^ LOCATION OF STRUCTURE; jl miie south of Center line Rd, Reev Bay YaUe-y^on^rait 'to. UTM REFERENCE:jjTjj]I CLASS Vl LAND ACREAGE (if not A Li_J L|_J_j | I I Ll_I_1_| i I I part of a complex or district: Zone . Easting Northing _______ acres. STRUCTURE; Type of, and composition: Plastered Brick and Rubble masonry rectangular in plan one -story. Physical Description; The servants' quarters is the best preserved of. the; four .utility buildings. It measures 18'5 bv 14'4" and is of fh It was constructed to line up with the cook'house and is 7'11 "north nf ii- one-story masonry building, standing on an accentuated base. The It,.is a_ plastered throughout and with an exterior decorative banding of -windows, corners and eaves. All walls stand to full height although damaged ;vnd with nnly fr^rpfi T ,of the original finish p. a. .Wood frames for the door and one of thfc windows arc still in place. .All other woodwork, including the hipped roof, have disappeared. Latitude 18°19'54" Longitude. 64°44'25'.' (continue on reverse, if necessary) PRESENT CONDITION: Ruins ["" Excellent Unaltered X 1 Good Altered Fair 1 | Deteriorate^ Original Site ] X[ Moved JUL Appendi±B, Historic Bisect , CLASSIFIED STRUCTURE FIELD INVENTORY O (AttacirTf"x5 1T B&W Photo) REGION Southeast NFS ORGANIZATION PARK/AREA NAME Virgin Islands Nat'1 Park CODE NO. 5360 STRUCTURE NAME? Privy r Reef Bay Great House i. R fiF STftNTFTflANflR. National I I _________ STRUCTURE NO. H-.15, 4 State Fxl Local LOCATION OF STRUCTURE:! i miles south of Centerline Rd, Reef Bay Valley on trail to UTM REFEpNCE: i I I I 1 I CLASS VI LAND ACREAGE- (if not A J_i , | J_| |_I J I I 1 I,_J_1._[ J I I part of a complex or district: Zone . Easting N, orthing _______ acres. STRUCTURE: Type of, and composition: Plastered rubble masonry, one story and rectangular in plan__________ Physical Description; The privy was a 10' by 10'6". one-story masonry structure. with a door on the northwest side and probably a small window in each one of the, three other s^dgs. The,-lpuil(j,in,g was r stuccoed and its cornice and._the._cjP-O-r,yfay.. . had slightly projecting stucco bands, as did the other buildings of the site. The south corner stands to a height of 6'9". but other walls have tumbled and only £poj:j-nps and "wall fragments remain._____ •• •______..-__..' ____- - - -__________. latitude 18 U 19'54" Longitude 64 U44'25 (continue on reverse if necessary) PRESENT CONDITION: Ruins | X I Excellent Unaltered (X | Good Altered Fair L | Deterioratedl 1 Original Site 1 X Moved I I AppendixB, Historic District REGION Southeast JUL 2 3 198! L'RUCYUK R 1? i.ELl) < ' • UilY .1UAMV NFS ORGANIZATION PARK/AREA NAMEVirgin Islands Nat'1 Park- CODE NO. 5360 STRUCTURE NAMg Stable. Ba Great .House ORDER OF SIGNIFICANCE: National I I State STRUCTURE NO. H-15 r .5 Local [[ LOCATION OF STRUCTURE:jl miles south of Centerline Rcl. Reef'Say'Valley on_____ UTM REFERENCE: i III! I CLASS VI LAND ACREAGE- (If not A L|_ LI_I_III) I_1_ _1_I III part of a complex or district; Zone Easting N.o r th ing acres STRUCTURE; Type of, and composition: Plastered rubble masonry, one-story rectangular in plan.__________'____________________________ Physical Description; The stable is a one-story masonry building measuring .14'A" by 39'1". It was built into the side of the hill and its rear, southeast wall also served as a retaining wall. Both end walls have a centered window opening 3'0" by 3'9" high. The front wall that has collapsed, appears to have had either two or three large openings. The exterior was stuccoed and corners, window openings, base and top of walls were accentuated by slightly projecting stucco bands. The two remaining walls stand partially to their full height and the roof appears to have been hipped. __________m___«_______________.____________. Latitude 18 U 19'54" Longitude 64044'25" (continue on reverse if necessary) PRESENT CONDITION: Ruins PH Excellent Unaltered X Good Altered Fair! } Pet c r io r a t: e d (_ ( Original Site 1 Xj Moved I I 2 3 198! . .. Appendix B, Historic District CLASSIFIED ..CRUCTURE FIELD INVENTORY REPORT REGION Southeast "(Attach~~4"nx5vr B&W Photo)" NFS ORGANIZATiOiNi PARK/AREA NAME Virgin Islands Nat'1 Park CODE NO. 5360 STRUCTURE NAME Retaining Walls and Fences. Reef Bay Great , STRUCTURE NO. H -1 5 f (, * '• iT6u s e ORDER OF SIGNIFICANCE: National f I State PH . . .Local |~I LOCATION OF STRUCTURE: ^-t south of Centerline Rd, Keei .tiay vaiiey on . " UTM REFERENCE: 1 A Lj-J I ^1 I J I I 1 »i I 1 | il Zone. . Easting N, or thing CLASS VI LAND ACREAGE- (if not part of a complex or district:: acres. STRUCTURE; Type of, and composition: Plastered rubble and brick masonry rctainiif walls, fences and gate posts and steps.______________________ Physical Description: Part of Reef Bay Great House quality lies in its carefully__ planned and controlled setting of terraces, retaining walls, steps, fences, etc. These features are now almost .obsqur-ed-' by vegetation and in some cases, parti- ally rUgj-rny^H. A terrace in front of the main house separates it from the cook "hnusp. and s ervants quarters built to the west and at a lower level. The terrace j.g bounded to the -west by retaining walls up to 12' high topped by circular masonry pjjlars that .once were.the posts for the iron fence. Access to the terrace is from the north by three steps and a gate between two 10'3" ornamental masonry gate- posts. The front terrace continues 45 feet beyond the Great House and ends in a raised gazebo. A retaining wall and steps separated the narro\v"and irregular _____south and east of the building from, the front__terrace. Steps in the northeast corner of the east yard lead down to the area north of the Great House and provides* access to the .stable and outhouse. The retaining walls and staircases, where they are still standing, have the same stucco band decoration as observed on the building ia°1Q'54" Longitude 64°44'25" (continue on reverse if necessary) PRESENT CONDITION: Ruins | | Excellent Unaltered | X | Good Altered . Fair \ __ | Deteriorated]"^! Original Site j j^| Moved 1 1 Reef Bay Great House Historic Name: Reef Bay, Par Force House Common Name: Reef Bay Great House Reef Bay Quarter, St. John, Virgin Islands Photo credit F. C. Gjessing date of photo August, 1970 Negative filed at Virgin Islands National Park Reef Bay Great House (H-15-1) viewed from the west with the remains of the cook house (H-15, 2) in the foreground. , C\il hlduwd fiuk ftofhtL l&wt JUN8 WBt JUL-23 1981 *..*; ,«' ; . V- ^ws."cr—• , Great House Historic Name:, Reef Bay, Par Force House Common Name: Reef Bay Great House Reef Bay Quarter, St. John, Virgin Islands Photo credit F. C. Gjessing date of photo August, 1970 Negative filed at Virgin Islands National Park Entrance gate (H-15, 6) to front yard of Great House viewed from the northwest. [ill Servants Quarters Historic Namer Reef Bay, Par Force House Common Name: Reef Bay Great House Reef Bay Quarter, St. John, Virgin Islands Photo credit F . C. Gjessing date of photo August, 1970 Negative filed at Virgin Islands National Park East wall of Servants Quarters (H-15, 3) fuk. JUN t 1981