Estate Little Princess is a historic
plantation
A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Th ...
site located northwest of
Christiansted
Christiansted is the largest town on Saint Croix, one of the main islands composing the United States Virgin Islands, a territory of the United States of America. The town is named after King Christian VI of Denmark.
History
The town was founded ...
in
Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Croix; nl, Sint-Kruis; french: link=no, Sainte-Croix; Danish and no, Sankt Croix, Taino: ''Ay Ay'' ( ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincor ...
. It was first owned by governor
Frederik Moth in 1738 and rests on 25 acres of land (from the original 200 acres). As of 2011 the estate is under ownership of
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US.
Founded in 1951, The Natu ...
and serves as headquarters for the Eastern Caribbean/Virgin Islands programs. The property has been turned into a nature preserve and historical tours are given as well. The site was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
on June 9, 1980.
There are many buildings on the property, including a building that served as a Danish hospital and the
great house
A great house is a large house or mansion with luxurious appointments and great retinues of indoor and outdoor staff. The term is used mainly historically, especially of properties at the turn of the 20th century, i.e., the late Victorian or ...
, which was built in the 1800s.
Both have been partially restored. Estate Little Princess was primarily a sugar and rum factory hundreds of years ago. There are many ruins (such as a windmill and remnants of the factory) located on the grounds of the estate.
In the great house, a small exhibition with photographs, maps and other documents tells the history of the estate.
Access is via the minor road leading north-west from the intersection of VI75 (Northside road) and VI74 (Rattan road) 2km northwest of Christiansted.
See also
*
References
Sugar plantations in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Plantations in the Danish West Indies
Houses in the United States Virgin Islands
Plantation houses in the United States
Nature Conservancy preserves
Houses completed in 1749
Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States Virgin Islands
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States Virgin Islands
1749 establishments in North America
1740s establishments in the Caribbean
1749 establishments in Denmark
18th century in the Danish West Indies
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