Skytsborg
Site in Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands. Added to the National Register in 1991, and a National Historic Landmark.
What it is
Blackbeard's Castle is one of five National Historic Landmarks in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is located in the city of Charlotte Amalie, on the island of St. Thomas. Erected in 1679 by the Danes as a watchtower to protect the harbor as well as Fort Christian, Blackbeard's Castle was originally called Skytsborg. It is located at the highest point of Government Hill. Skytsborg served as a very effective vantage point for Danish soldiers to spot enemy ships. Fort Christian is at sea level, thus making it ideal for thwarting attackers with cannon fire; however, the fort itself did not provide an ideal view of incoming ships entering the harbor.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | 39 Donningens Gade, Charlotte Amalie |
| County | St. Thomas County |
| Listed | Dec 20, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001844 |
| Type of place | tower |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark, National Register of Historic Places contributing property |
| Contributing resources | 1 buildings |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | 39 Donningens Gade, Charlotte Amalie, |
| Coordinates | 18.34379, -64.92964 · Directions ↗ |
| Nearest national park unit | Virgin Islands National Park · 12 mi · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Cinnamon Bay Beach And Campground 12 mi · Virgin Island National Park Overnight Mooring 12 mi |
Explore
Map
Reference
Sources
Location, dates, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 91001844. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.