National Historic Landmark · fort · Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands

Fort Christian

United States historic place in Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands. Added to the National Register in 1977, and a National Historic Landmark.

USVI St. Thomas Charlotte Amalie Fort ChristianHugo Larsen - Fort Christian på St. ThomasCharlotte Amalie - Fort Christian Clock TowerCharlotte Amalie 2fer
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 6 in the Commons category

What it is

Fort Christian is a Dano-Norwegian-built fort in Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Built 1672-1680, early in the first successful colonial establishment on the island, the fort served as a critical point of defense and government during the entire period of Dano-Norwegian, and later Danish, administration, which ended in 1917 with the sale of the islands to the United States. It currently holds the St. Thomas Museum, which holds artifacts and art of the Dano-Norwegian period. It was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1977.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

Property typeStructure
AddressAt St. Thomas Harbor, Charlotte Amalie, VI
CountySt. Thomas County
ListedMay 5, 1977
Listed forMilitary, Exploration and settlement
Level of significanceNational
Reference number77001329
ArchitectJørgen Iversen Dyppel
Type of placefort
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark, National Register of Historic Places contributing property
Contributing resources1 structure

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

AddressAt St. Thomas Harbor, Charlotte Amalie, VI
Websitestthomashistoricaltrust.org/fort-christian-1 ↗
Coordinates18.3406° N, 64.9297° W · Directions ↗
Also in Charlotte Amalie21 listed places in Charlotte Amalie →
Nearest national park unitVirgin Islands National Park · 12 miles · on Park Atlas
Federal campgrounds nearbyCinnamon Bay Beach And Campground 12 miles · Virgin Island National Park Overnight Mooring 12 miles
This one you can go inside. Hours and admission change with the season; the website above has the current schedule.

Explore

Map

Guidebooks for historic places across the country

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Lincoln Road Trip
    Jane Simon Ammeson, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Guide Book to the Historic Sites of the War of 1812
    Gilbert Collins, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Historic Sites and Landmarks That Shaped America [2 volumes]
    Mitchell Newton-Matza, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

When was Fort Christian listed on the National Register?

May 5, 1977. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.

Source: National Park Service

Who designed Fort Christian?

Jørgen Iversen Dyppel.

Source: Wikidata

Can I visit Fort Christian?

Yes. Fort Christian is recorded as open to the public, and hours are on the official website.

Source: Official website

Where is Fort Christian?

At St. Thomas Harbor, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas County, U.S. Virgin Islands. The nearest national park unit is Virgin Islands National Park, 12 miles away.

Source: Virgin Islands National Park

Where is the nomination form for Fort Christian?

The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.

Source: National Archives

Are there campgrounds near Fort Christian?

Two federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Cinnamon Bay Beach And Campground, 12 miles away. Virgin Island National Park Overnight Mooring is 12 miles away.

Source: Campsite Atlas

Sources

Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 77001329. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.