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Denmark bought St. Croix from France in 1733.  A good harbor on the north coast was chosen for the main town and named after the reigning monarch, King Christian VI.  The island was divided into 150-acre plantations and sold at bargain prices to settlers.  The Crown took over administration of the island from the trading company which had implemented too many rules and regulations.  When restrictions were eased, the economy flourished.  Royal governors were assigned to the island and an elegant lifestyle developed.

The first governor Frederick Moth was a city planner who wanted his town to resemble what is now Oslo, Norway.  He situated company and government buildings near the waterfront and relegated workers' cottages to the outskirts.  Building inspectors examined materials and controlled growth by zoning.

West Indian neo-classical style is "dignified, solid, and functional…characterized by rhythmical arches, light and spacious interiors….arcaded sidewalks that shelter pedestrians from the sun and rain, galleries to catch breezes,…."  Quoted from the National Park Service's pamphlet on Christiansted.

The style was modified for the tropics with louvered windows to regulate light and air flow, outer shutters for storm and hurricane protection, and awnings for protection from the sun.  Ships from Europe often used yellow brick as ballast and these bricks were then off-loaded and used as building material

Duties were then paid at the Customs House.

The Scale House was where barrels of sugar from plantation carts were weighed.  A Danish customs official recorded the weight and assessed taxes based on the weight. 

By 1850, all goods crossed the scales.  St. Croix exported sugar, rum, and molasses and all other goods were imported. 

Along the wharf you would have heard the creaking of rigging and pulleys as ships unloaded foodstuffs, plantation supplies, and building materials.  The scent of sugar and molasses sweetened the air.  Down the street plodded oxen, snorting with effort as they delivered carloads of rum barrels. 

This was the music of international commerce.  Sailors from Denmark, Great Britain, France, and the United States contributed to the blend of languages.  Above the clipped Danish of customs officials and the Irish brogue of plantation overseers rose the creole cries of vendors hawking mangoes and cinnamon sticks.  (Quoted from a plaque near the fort.)

The wharf as it looks today

Ruins in downtown Christiansted