Danish Customs House

The Danish colonial government carried out the collection of customs revenues, or duties/taxes, at this location. The Customs House is prominently located, due to its critical role in Colonial operations, between the wharf, Scale House, and Danish West India & Guinea Company Warehouse.

• The brick and masonry building, covered in yellow plaster, is located on the ground of Christiansted National Historic Site. Its large "welcoming arms" staircase opens up to the historic Christiansted wharf.

Detention Cells

• A corridor with brick floors and arched columns. Wayside describes crime and punishment in the Danish West Indies. A hallway leads to two doors approximately 2 1/2 ft.² lead into small cells approximately 6 ft.³.

Fort Christiansvaern

Fort Christiansvaern is a Frenchstyle Danish Colonial fortification that commands the Christiansted harbor entrance to the north. The fort protected shipping from potential attacks by foreign invaders, privateers, and possibly pirates, enforced the collection of customs duties, housed prisoners, and quartered Danish troops primarily responsible for internal security on the island of St. Croix.

• Stone and brick masonry fortification located on a prominent point at Christiansted Harbor. Covered in yellow plaster, the largest fortification on the island of St. Croix housed a garrison of Danish colonial soldiers. To the east is a linear stable building. The entrance to the fort's gate and ravelin is located up the paved walkway from Hospital Street, under a canopy of historic mahogany trees.

Fort Christiansvaern Arsenal

• A barred room housing a great number of flint-lock rifles lining the walls.

Fort Christiansvaern Barracks

• A small room with bars. Inside are five small cots with foot lockers and two wardrobes. The beds are made with wool blankets. Barred windows let in light.

Fort Christiansvaern Cannon Barbette

• Upper level of the fort. Six cannon sit aiming over Christiansted Wharf. A small cay lays about a quarter mile offshore. The clanking of the flagpole can be heard, being jostled by the trade-winds.

Fort Christiansvaern Dungeon

• A trap door in the floor leads to a narrow stair. At the bottom a stone and brick cell is lit by a small 9" square window.

Fort Christiansvaern Gun Deck

• A platform and walkway on the upper level of the fort leads to a wayside. The walls are low, use caution. The buildings of the Christiansted complex are visible and the green mountains of St Croix are ahead.

Fort Christiansvaern Kitchen

• A whitewashed room with a masonry oven on the left and a small room behind it with a brick shelf that served as a cooking platform. Brick floors lead to a back courtyard. A concrete square on the right with a wooden lid serves as a cistern.

Fort Christiansvaern Latrine

• A small stone and brick room with a raised seat in the corner. A window looks out over Christiansted Wharf

Fort Christiansvaern Multi-Purpose Room

• An empty room with brick floor that served a number of purposes over the centuries.

Fort Christiansvaern Officer's Day Room

• A wood-paneled room with wood floors. Solid wood furniture in the back corner and on the left wall. A small table with four chairs sits in the middle with an oil lamp and writing tools. Hanging from the ceiling, a single candle would illuminate the room.

Fort Christiansvaern Parade

• An open grassy lawn, enclosed by rooms. A sweeping stair leads to the top level. A fenced in area with gate houses a stack of cannonballs.

Fort Christiansvaern Powder Magazine

• Two pillars make up a gateway leading to a fenced area housing stacks of cannonballs. A door leads into a barred room containing barrels and implements for distributing black powder.

Rachel Levine's Cell

• A whitewashed room with information displays on the walls

Ravelin

• A triangular shaped wall courtyard with yellow walls and a brick floor. To the right ad door opens into the fee, collection and welcome center. Next to the fee office a large room with exhibits. To the left three canon and one mortar sit on the brick floor. Straight ahead stairs lead to the entrance of the fort also called sallyport.

Scale House

Built in 1856, this structure housed the scale for goods, including rum, coming through Christianstead Harbor. An 1861 scale is on display inside.

• The two-story, brick and stone masonry scale house is located on Christiansted wharf. The historic scale located in the bay to the right is actually the second scale, dating to the early 1900s. There have been several scale houses located here.

Steeple Building

Constructed on the foundations of an earlier French building, the Church of Our Lord God of Sabaoth was the first established Lutheran church in Christiansted (1753). Construction on the Steeple Building began in 1750 and the steeple tower and clock were added 1794–96. As a Lutheran church, multiple religious organizations—many that admitted Africans and African descendants—rented the space during “off-hours” to hold their services.

• The brick and stone masonry building, covered in white plaster, is located on the corner of Hospital and Company Streets, in downtown Christiansted.

Christiansted National Historic Site Bookstore and Welcome Center

• Christiansted National Historic Site Bookstore and Welcome Center
• The bookstore is located at the historic Scale House, at the water's edge.

Christiansted National Historic Site Visitor Center

• Christiansted National Historic Site Visitor Center
• Fort Christiansvaern at Christiansted National Historic Site serves as the point of information for all three national park units on St. Croix, including Buck Island Reef National Monument and Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve.

Fort Christiansvaern Self Guided Tour

Transport yourself back to the late 18th century and discover the untold story of the Danish West Indies at Fort Christiansvaern.