Hotel
1829 and The Inn at Blackbeard's Castle
Charlotte Amalie
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands |
Blackbeard the Pirate
The historical Walking Tour of Blackbeard's Castle and the architectural
treasures of Charlotte is included free for guests of Hotel 1829 and The
Inn at Blackbeard's Castle.
There is a muted line between the true history and the myths surrounding
Edward Teach (or sometimes "Thatch") who became regarded as
Blackbeard the Pirate. Colorful legends often mix bits of reality together
with fantasy. The famous name seems to have been taken from his particularly
great and bushy black beard.
Charles Johnson's General History of Pyrates describes him: "In time
of Action, he wore a Sling over his Shoulders, with three brace of Pistols,
hanging in Holsters like Bandoliers; he wore a Fur-Cap, and stuck a lighted
Match on each Side, under it, which appearing on each side his Face, his
Eyes naturally looking Fierce and Wild, made him altogether such a Figure,
that Imagination cannot form an idea of a Fury, from Hell, to look more
frightful." That certainly sparks images of a great adventurer!
Blackbeard's encounters with English ships are recorded in varying accounts
along the eastern coast of the United States and particularly the Carolinas.
Bringing him closer to the Virgin Islands, Johnson reports, "In December
last I had information of a Pyrate Ship of 36 Guns and 250 men, and a
Sloop of 10 Guns and a 100 men were Said to be Cruizing amongst the Leeward
Islands, I accordingly Sailed hence the 18th of Said month for Antegoa
to join the Seaford, there were informed the Said Pyrate Ship and Sloop
were gone to Leeward, the 23 December we proceeded for Nevis, and St Christophers,
from which Islands I had an Officer and 20 Soldiers put on board me for
the Cruize was here informed that Said Pyrates had been off this Island
about three weeks before and there Sunk a French Ship load with Sugars,
we proceeded to Spanish Town, Santa Cruiz, St Thomas, and Crabb Island."
And here this history joins the stories of the tower known as Blackbeard's
Castle on St. Thomas.
Blackbeard's Castle St. Thomas (Skytsborg
Tower)
Skytsborg Tower (meaning sky tower), was built in 1679 by the Danes
as a watchtower for the harbor of Charlotte Amalie. It is located at
the highest point on Government Hill. Danish Soldiers used Skytsborg
as a vantage point to spot enemy ships and protect impressive Fort Christian
from attacks.
Fort Christian is at sea level, which was ideal for warding off attackers
with canon fire, but did not offer a good enough view of the incoming
ships before they entered the harbor. It is not known what year Skytsborg
Tower took on the name of Blackbeard's Castle, but the infamous Edward
Teach, commonly known as Blackbeard, did sail the Caribbean waters in
the early 1700s.
It has become part of the lore of the island that he used the Tower
as a vantage point for his own treacherous purposes. Blackbeard's Castle
is one of four National Historic sites in the US Virgin Islands. It
was the centerpiece of a private residence for many years. Now, Blackbeard's
Castle is the starting point for the historical walking tour. The newly
opened Pirate's Den offers great treasures
for visiting pirate fans.
Hotel 1829
This small hotel was actually built in 1829 by Alexander Lavalette,
a wealthy French sea merchant.
It is one of the largest homes in the Kongens Quarter (King's Quarter)
of Charlotte Amalie. The dining room has its original floors, hand painted
Moroccan glazed tiles laid in a harlequin pattern with terra cotta tiles
from Martinique. It has a beautiful stained glass window by Tiffany
called "In Search of the Promised Land". There are 300 year
old Italian chess pieces large enough to stand guard on each side of
the doorway.
The historic kitchen was originally built inside the main house, which
was extraordinary for that era. Kitchens were always built in separate
structures because of heat and fire danger. Today, the old kitchen is
now the popular bar of the hotel. Hotel 1829 is a "U" shaped
house with a large courtyard leading to the West Indian "Welcoming
Arms" staircase. The stairs flair out at the base as if embracing
you while ascend them. The upstairs areas are for hotel guests only.
Standing in front of the hotel, you can still see Alexander Lavalette's
initials in the wrought iron of the upstairs balcony. The house became
a hotel in 1906.
Hotel 1829 has been featured in Travel & Leisure magazine as a "Gem
of a hotel".The dramatic and romantic atmosphere lingers from the
bygone era. For more information and photos, visit our Hotel 1829 web
pages.
See our website for the
Historic Walking Tour
Haagensen House
Original home of Danish banker Hans Haagensen and his wife Sarah Julia
Magens, it was built in 1827.
Haagensen had been sent to St. Thomas from Copenhagen to help run the
official Bank of St. Thomas. His wife Sarah was part of the St. Croix
Magens family, related to the Magens that had their plantation on the
now famous Magens Bay Beach.
Hans and Sarah raised their nine children in this house. The house was
built in the grand Charlotte Amalie town residence style, considered
Greek revival because of the pediments above the doors and windows.
There were no interior staircases to connect the two floors. The staircase
with marble tiles is on the outside of the house. Haagensen House has
five period exhibit rooms that are managed by the St.Thomas Historical
Trust.
On display are West Indian antiques of the era, giving a sense of how
well the merchant class of St. Thomas lived in the prosperous early
1800s.The house sits on the hillside directly above Hotel 1829. The
terrace of Haagensen House is frequently used today to celebrate weddings.
"To appreciate Haagensen House
today is to see it as a slice of island life in the 1800s."
Caribbean World magazine
Villa Notman
This charming stone and yellow brick villa was built by Scottish engineer,
Robert Notman in 1860. He came to St. Thomas to help build what is now
the West Indian Company Dock. It was home to him, his wife Mary and
their daughter Jane.
Villa Notman is one of the sixteen on the island built out of the native
stone called "Blue Bitch" (because it is very hard to cleave)
and yellow ballast brick used to weight the hulls of ships that traveled
from Europe to the West Indies.
The house has an exceptional cast iron double balcony imported from
New Orleans. The top floor is now a house museum that showcases four
exhibit rooms all filled with period West Indian, European and American
antique furniture. This varied collection ties together the points of
the triangle trade routes of the era.
The house also features a park-like fragrance garden, planted with Bayrum
trees, Plumeria (used in making perfume) and other tropical delights.
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