St. Croix was purchased from France in 1733 by Denmark during their search of islands for the purpose of producing sugar as well as an outlet for trade. The town of Christiansted, named after the reigning King Christian VI of Denmark, was planned in 1734 by the first Danish governor, Frederick Moth. In 1755, Christiansted became the capital of the Danish West Indies. That led to an increase in population and commercial importance through the rest of the 18th Century. With the growth of the beet sugar industry in Europe and North America, the drop of the price of cane sugar, increasing debt, drought, hurricanes, and the rising cost of labor after slavery was abolished in 1848, Christiansted experienced economic decline. Soon, the era of wealth for St. Croix was a thing of the past. The United States purchased the Danish West Indies in 1917 for the islands' strategic harbors.  Below are the historic buildings of Christiansted.

Fort Christiansvaern (meaning Christian's defense)

The fort was named in honor of King Christian VI. It dominates the town's National Historical Site. Built between 1738 and 1749 with Danish pale yellow bricks, its purpose was to defend the harbor against pirates, to enforce the payment of taxes on imports and exports, and to deter slave uprisings. 

Entrance to the Powder Magazine

Cannon Balls near the Powder Magazine

Courtyard of Fort

Cannons

Cannons with Christiansted in the background

Door of Dungeon

Stan in a dungeon

A View from the Fort

Protecting the Town

The Steeple Building

The Steeple Building, built in 1751, is an attractive white rectangular structure that was originally the first Lutheran church on St Croix. When the congregation moved to another location in 1831, the building was used over the years as a storehouse, a school, a hospital, and even a bakery!

Scale House

The Old Danish Scale House, built in 1856, is the place where the sugar was weighed before exportation. 

Scale

The huge scales were also used to weigh imports. 

The Customs House

The Customs House, just across from Fort Christiansvaern, is the place where taxes were paid on imports and exports passing through the Scale House right next door.

The Danish West India and Guinea Company Warehouse 

The Danish West India and Guinea Company Warehouse was the headquarters for The Danish West India Company, and housed goods, offices, staff, and slaves. It was originally three times larger than the current structure. 

The courtyard where some of the largest slave auctions in the Caribbean took place.

The Government House where government offices were located.

Today's Lutheran Church was built in 1744 as the Dutch Reformed Church

St. John's Episcopal Church built in 1760

St. John's Episcopal Church

Inside St. John's Episcopal Church