CULTURE & HISTORY
St. Thomas's history and culture alone are worth a visit to the island. Fort Christian, a U.S. National Landmark, is the oldest standing structure in the Virgin Islands and home to the Virgin Islands Museum, where early island memorabilia and old maps trace the islands' history. Market Square, a bustling produce marketplace, was once one of the West Indies' busiest 18th-century slave markets.
Also of interest is the Synagogue of Beracha Veshalom Vegmiluth Hasidim, the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the United States. On nearby Government Hill, looming over Charlotte Amalie, stands Blackbeard's Castle. Known during colonial times as Skytsborg, this 17th-century fortified tower also serves as a popular restaurant and hotel.
Located in the hills not far from the heart of Charlotte Amalie, Government House has been the center of government in St. Thomas since the mid-1860s. Visitors interested in seeing St. Thomas's political life may tour the building's first two floors. The 99 Steps, made by bricks that were once used as ballast on Danish and British ships, were built into the hillside to keep the orderly grid of the city intact.
Historic Places of WorshipMade in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Links to Cultural Organizations
Cultural Events
HISTORIC PLACES OF WORSHIP
Cathedral Church of All Saints
Built in 1848 from stone quarried on the island, this church has thick, arched window frames lined with yellow brick that was used as ballast aboard ships. Merchants left the brick on the waterfront to make room aboard their boats for molasses, sugar, mahogany, and rum for the return voyage. The church was built in celebration of the end of slavery.
Address: 3 Domini Gade, Garden Street, St. Thomas.
Phone: 340-774-0217
Frederick Lutheran Church
Located steps away from Main Street, this church was the official church of the Danish West Indies. The building went up in 1793 and replaced two earlier buildings that were destroyed by fire. It has since been refurbished. 340-776-1315 / www.felc1666.org
Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cathedral
Completed in 1848, this stunning cathedral serves as the seat of the Territory’s Roman Catholic Diocese. Mural paintings on the ceiling and walls depict more than 12 major scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Presently undergoing restoration, the Cathedral is open daily for services and welcomes visitors of all faiths. Complimentary tours available by appointment. 340-774-0201 / www.catholicvi.com
St. Thomas Reformed Church
Established around 1660, this church has the oldest congregation in the Virgin Islands. Organized by Dutch traders as the St. Thomas Protestant Reformed Dutch Church, early services were held in Fort Christian. The first church was built in the mid-1670s and remained in use to at least 1731. In the 1740s a new church was built on Snegle Gade, which burned in 1804, two years before the replacement was again destroyed by fire in 1806. 340-776-8255 / www.stthomasreformedchurch.org
St. Thomas Synagogue
As one of the oldest synagogues in the Western Hemisphere, this synagogue is an architectural and historical gem in the middle of the Caribbean. The sand-covered floors are a carryover of the congregation’s Sephardic tradition. Visitors of all faiths are welcome to experience the simple and stately interior of this National Historic Landmark. 340-774-4312 www.usvi.net/usvi/syngogue.html
MADE IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Alton’s Body Adornments
St. Thomas
Phone: 340-776-9479
Art by Lucinda
Phone: 340-514-2432
Caribbean Glo
Caribbean Herbals
Eloi’s Leather Crafts
St. Thomas
Phone: 340-998-1852
Everyday Clay Studio and Gallery
Phone: 340-514-9930
Gladys Café
St. Thomas
Phone: 340-774-6604
J.O.I. (Jewel of the Isles)
St. Thomas
Phone: 340-775-3695
Kilnworks Pottery & Art Gallery
Native Arts & Crafts Cooperative
Dolls, cards, local music, hoop/vine baskets, liqueurs, seasonings, wood carvings
St. Thomas
Phone: 340-777-1153
Theo’s Personal Chef & Catering Services
Tillett Gardens
Ceramics, jewelry, silkscreening artists, hand-painted items
St. Thomas
Phone: 340-775-1929
Virgin Islands Soaps
Phone: 571-285-1530
WARRi Art – Caribbean Inspired Art
Yali Dolls
Zora of St. Thomas
LINKS TO CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
French Heritage Museum
St. Thomas Historical Trust
The Enid M. Baa Public Library & Archives
Virgin Islands Council on the Arts
Phone: 340-774-5984
Virgin Islands Humanities Council
Phone: 340-776-4044
CULTURAL EVENTS
Agricultural and Food Fair
UVI Grounds, Reichhold Center, St. Thomas
November
Phone: 340-693-1080
Arts Alive Annual Holiday Arts &Crafts and Music Festival
Arts Alive Annual Springtime Arts & Crafts and Music Festival
Friendship Day
Transfer Day
Legislature Building, St. Thomas
March 31
USVI-BVI
October
Phone: 340-774-0100
USVI-Puerto Rico Friendship Day
Emancipation Gardens
October; Columbus Day Weekend
Phone: 340-774-0100 x8049, 8050 or 340-777-8267
Virgin Islands Carnival