Orientation

St. John, US Virgin Islands Orientation

St. John’s most-visited points of interest lie along the North Shore from Cruz Bay to the Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins, all within the boundaries of the National Park. The South Shore is just as beautiful, although drier and less developed. When you get off the ferry, drop into one of the souvenir shops alongside the dock and pick up the St. John Map, a delightful tongue-in-cheek rendition of St. John drawn by Linda Smith-Palmer, whose shop is located in Mongoose Junction. The St. John map is free.

To orient yourself quickly, there are some key locations you should know.

Cruz Bay

Cruz Bay is the capital of St. John and the hub of the island. All commercial activity takes place within its dozen streets. Restaurants, guest houses, craft shops, a bank, a convenience market and the only two gas stations on the island are here as well.

National Park Cruz Bay Visitor Center

The information center and dock are located between Cruz Bay and Mongoose Junction. Stop by to pick up information about programs. There is also a gift shop and bookstore. A ranger is on duty 8 am-4:30 pm daily. Mongoose Junction A five-minute walk from the ferry dock, Mongoose Junction is an interesting shopping center. Lots of craft shops, a good dive shop and restaurants.

Caneel Bay Resort

Caneel Bay was the first resort built by Laurence Rockefeller. In 1955 he purchased the old Caneel Bay Plantation, a resort that had fallen into disrepair. The present- day resort, with seven beaches, three restaurants and magnificently manicured grounds, is one of the finest in the Caribbean and is the core of St. John’s social scene.

Trunk Bay

On an island with memorable beaches, Trunk Bay is the loveliest. Part of the National Park, it has a marked underwater snorkel trail which you can easily follow. This is a must.

Cinnamon Bay

The National Park Service maintains a campsite on this bay which has a lovely beach. There is a commissary and restaurant.

Maho Bay

This unusual community of permanent tent campers is an ecologically sound environment. Although it is within the grounds of the National Park, it is privately run.

Annaberg Sugar Mill

A visit to this restored sugar mill explains a lot about the economy of the island in colonial times. Apamphlet gives details about the site.

Coral Bay

On the island’s drier eastern end, Coral Bay was the island’s original settlement. Only eight miles from Cruz Bay (along Route 10), the trip takes 25 minutes due to the mountain range. Once a laid-back sleepy town, Coral Bay is experiencing a “boomlet.” There are new dining spots, new shops and even some nightlife. All of them remain very casual.

Bordeaux Mountain

Bordeaux Mountain is the highest peak on St. John. It rises to 1,277 feet where there is an overlook. The spectacular view includes Cruz Bay, the British Virgin Islands and a beautiful blue sea.

History

A Brief History of St. John

At the end of the 17th century, squatters from St. Thomas and nearby Tortola (British) began settling on St. John and frequent skirmishes erupted between them. Finally, in 1717, King Christian V granted a charter to the Danish West India Company for the purpose of establishing a permanent Danish colony on the island. The English on Tortola decided not to fight for the island and so the Danes worked at establishing their settlement. They carved out plantations and, to lure newcomers, offered large tax exemptions. Tobacco, sugar and cotton were soon being exported to Europe. In 1733, the population of St. John stood at 208 whites and 1,000 slaves. Prosperity was short-lived, however, as a slave revolt erupted on the island. The spark that ignited the revolt was a hurricane in the summer of 1733. It destroyed the slave’s personal food crops. When refused food by the planters, anger exploded. They set out to kill as many of the hated masters as they could and to burn down the “great houses” and cane fields.

The uprising could not be put down and for six months the slaves were in control of St. John. When control was finally re-established, almost half the plantations were destroyed. Those planters who returned to the island rebuilt their homes. Then Denmark fought with Napoleon against England. British troops from Tortola took advantage of the situation by attacking and capturing St. Thomas and St. John in 1807, holding them for seven years.

When the slaves were freed in 1848, the cultivation of sugar cane become unprofitable and most of the planters left. The few natives that remained on St. John existed by farming, fishing and raising livestock.

Caneel Bay, originally a Sugar Mill, was purchased by Laurence Rockefeller, who donated it to the Jackson Hole Preserve, a conservation organization. At that time, St. John had about 800 residents and no electricity or cars. Jackson Hole proceeded to buy up over 5,000 acres along St. John’s north shore. The locals were dismayed at the tremendous changes occurring on the island. In 1956, Jackson Hole donated the land (not Caneel Bay however) to the Federal Government, and a National Park was created. The park has permitted the natural beauty, wildlife and incomparable beaches to remain unspoiled.

The population of St. John has grown to almost 5,000 and although some resentment lingers, the locals have grown to appreciate the park in their midst.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing in St. John

Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins

The Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins can be easily explored using the detailed guide available at the parking lot. All the buildings of the partially restored plantation are numbered to correspond to your guide. Leave yourself at least 30 minutes to complete the quarter- mile circular route.

On early maps of St. John, Annaberg appears as one of the first sugar factories. Molasses and rum were also produced. Freedom for West Indian slaves in 1848 made these industries economically unfeasible and the plantations were divided into subsistence farms which gave St. John its pastoral way of life.

The slave village lies at the foot of the hill, not far from the parking lot. It consisted of 16 cabins, a small oven and gardens where slaves grew fruit and vegetables.

As you walk up the hill you’ll have to imagine the area as it was then – covered by tall canes of sugar, resembling bamboo. The slaves had to cut the cane, remove the leaves and, after tying it in bundles, load the cane onto a mule, which carted it to the mill. Most of the mill, whose walls are made of stone and brine coral, still stands, although the upper wooden portion that carried the sails is gone. From this point, look out across Leinster Bay to Tortola, only four miles away. The promenade to your left is Mary Point, where several hundred slaves jumped to their deaths during the slave revolt. Local lore has it that the water here turns red each May.

Below the mill, you’ll see a circle of stone. It’s the outline of the horse mill where mules, oxen or horses harnessed to poles moved iron rollers which crushed the cane. The horse mill was used when there wasn’t sufficient wind. Each night, slaves boiled water to wash these rollers since the juice adhering to them would sour and spoil the next day’s batch. The Boiling Bench, where the cane juice was boiled, still has a copper kettle. Nothing was wasted. They used the drippings from the sugar juice to produce rum.

The Annaberg grounds are quite lovely, with frangipani, sugar apples and lime trees. Well worth a visit.