Article Collections

Vista of Coral Bay in a 1833 watercolor by Robert H. Schomburgk
  • Albert E. Daniels

    Albert E. Daniel—His Lifeworks by Jessica Hornbeck.

    Magda Smith, long-time St. John resident, student of art history and former Director of the Virgin Islands Humanities Council, introduced those gathered at our November membership meeting to native Virgin Islands artist Albert E. Daniel with his own words:

    “Never had a lesson in my life, some call me a hit and a miss, but I seldom miss. You can go to a thousand schools, they can teach you the technique of art, but expression, you must have it inside, they can’t put expression into you.”

    …more…

  • Tektite Museum

    Crystal Blue View of Tektite II by Don Near

    (On November 6, 2010, the St. John Historical Society and Cleans Islands International, which manages the Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS) for the University of the Virgin Islands, co-hosted a 40th anniversary commemoration of the Conclusion of the Tektite II project at VIERS. Don Near is a long-time Interpretive Ranger at Virgin Islands National Park. Don wrote this article for an internal Park publication and we wanted to share it with Society members.) …more…



  • Cruz Bay Settlement and Government Station, St. John

    A Timeline of the Establishment of the Town of Cruz Bay, St. John by David W. Knight.

    1672 — The Danish West Indies Company successfully occupies St. Thomas and claims it, along with adjacent unoccupied islands, in the name of the Danish Crown.

    1680 - As early as 1680 census documents for the Danish West Indies record Danish-sanctioned settlers on St. John.

    1718 — On March 25, 1718, Governor of the Danish West Indies Eric Bredal officially claims St. John on behalf of Denmark. A small defensive fortress is established at Coral Bay. …more…



  • 1934 USC&GS Map of Mamey Peak

    Losing Ground By Eleanor Gibney.

    The heavy rains that have saturated St. John this year have caused major inconvenience for many residents—and terror and heartbreak for some who live in vulnerable areas. The most visible and dramatic effects of the inundation have been along St. John’s most costly and heavily engineered stretch of road: the section of Centerline between Bordeaux and Coral Bay.…more…



  • Letter from Margaret Braithwaite

    Dear Judge, … Margaret Braithwaite by David W. Knight.

    I never fail to be amazed at the depth and breadth of the information that can be gleaned from research in Danish West Indies archives. Once you have ventured beyond the volumes of governmental tax accounts and reams of administrative files — the proclamations, the probates, the auctions, the appraisals, the guardianships, the judgments and adjudications — one finds the poignant minutia — the notes, the asides, the scribbles, the sketches, the torn-out clippings from newspapers or pamphlets.…more…



Date Title Author
2010-12 Albert E. Daniel—His Lifeworks Hornbeck, Jessica
2010-12 Crystal Blue View of Tektite II Near, Don
2010-11 A Timeline of the Establishment of the Town of Cruz Bay, St. John Knight, David W.
2010-11 Losing Ground Gibney, Eleanor
2010-11 Dear Judge, … Margaret Braithwaite Knight, David W.
2010-10 Vaniniberg Estate Hike Swank, Robin
2010-10 A Tribute to John Achzet (5/24/1927–9/19/10) Biziewski, Bev and Moroney, Mary
2010-04 The Cholera Epidemic of 1853–1854 Knight, David W.
2010-04 Merchant N. S. Hjardemaal of Cinnamon Bay, St. John Knight, David W.
2010-03 Joe Popp: A Case of Ultimate Resistance Knight, David W.
2010-03 Waterlemon Bay at the Turn of the Nineteenth Century Swank, Robin
2010-02 A Boat Accident Lightbourn, Johannes
2010-02 About Robert H. Schomburgk… Gibney, Eleanor
2010-01 The St. John Market Basket Gibney, Eleanor
2010-01 Old Time Toys and Handmade Gifts Swank, Robin
2009-12 All the Fault of Peter Fink Gibney, Nancy Flagg (1978)
2009-11 The Testimony of William Blackstock [A True Story of Piracy and Buried Treasure on Norman Island] Knight, David
2009-10 Estate Zootenval’s Papilleau Bay Knight, David
2009-05 African Roots Project Reprise–St. John Emigration to St. Croix Swank, Robin
2009-05 Danish Artist Hugo Larsen‘s Cultural Portrait of Our Islands 1904-1907 Swank, Robin
2009-05 Tektite‘s 40th Anniversary Fete—A Presentation by Board member Bruce Schoonover Swank, Robin
2009-04 Potluck & Storytelling at the SJHS January 13, 2009 Membership Meeting Swank, Robin
2009-04 A Remembrance of St. John Knight, Anna
2009-04 Estate Misgunst Meander Swank, Robin
2009-03 Botany Bay Estate–Our trek to St. Thomas, January 17, 2009 Swank, Robin
2009-02 A Visit to the Bethany Moravian and the Nazareth Lutheran Churches Swank, Robin
2009-02 Historical Society Installs Plant Signs at Annaberg Schoonover, Bruce
2009-01 Tektite Program Overview Schoonover, Bruce
2009-01 A Family Album by Anna Nose Swank, Robin
2009-01 A Banker in the Danish West Indian Islands Hoist, Olav (in Danish), Translation courtesy of Nina York
2008-12 Images from the Frank Stick and Rockefeller Family Archives – presented by Steve Simonsen Swank, Robin
2008-11 Maps, Matical, and Material Remains Armstrong, Douglas V., Hauser, Mark W., Knight, David W., and Lenik, Stephen
2008-10 Fever Gibney, Eleanor
2008-10 A Week on St. John (Notes from Denmark’s most beautiful island) Linck, Olaf
2008-06 Guy Benjamin, Kenneth Marsh, Edmond Roberts, Milton Samuel:Stories of the Last two Decades Swank, Robin
2008-06 Masquerade: Costumes of the Atlantic Rim Nicholls, Dr. Robert W.
2008-05 The Role of GodParents and the Extended Family Sprauve, Elroy & Swank, Robin
2008-05 Lovango Explore Swank, Robin
2008-05 Earth Day 2008 on the SJHS Provisions Grounds Schoonover, Bruce & Swank, Robin
2008-05 God Parenting in the 1800's to early 1900's Swank, Robin
2008-04 Reminiscence of the West India Islands, Second Series No V; Tortola: The Native Missionary Kidder, Daniel P.
2008-04 Hike to Estate Retreat Swank, Robin
2008-03 Lignum vitae: Beauty, Strength, and the Fallibility of Medicine Gibney, Eleanor
2008-03 Earthquakes & Tsunamis: Prospects for the Virgin Islands Watlington, Roy and Lincoln, Shirley
2008-02 Notes on Colonial-Era Education on St. John and the Annaberg School Knight, David
2008-02 Creque Marine Railway, Hassel Island, a Walking Tour Swank, Robin
2008-01 Estate Sieben-Mollendal Hike Knight, David
2008-01 Florence & Walter Lewisohn and Steve Edwards Honored at the Annaberg School Sign Dedication Gibney, Eleanor
2008-01 Estate Sieben & Mollendahl Memories Sprauve, Elroy
2007-12 Guavaberry and Christmas Carols Gibney, Eleanor
2007-12 Christmas Eve aboard the Ingolf Linck, Olaf
2007-11 Of Waterfalls and Rock Carvings deBooy, Theodoor and Faris, John T.
2007-11 November Rain Gibney, Eleanor
2007-10 Report of the Earthquake of 1867 Housel, Louis van
2007-10 JUMBIES and WEREWOLVES Swank, Robin with the assistance of several other unnamed ghoulish board members
2007-08 Nineteenth Century Ornithologist at Estate Adrian Ober, Frederick
2007-08 African Roots Tyson, George
2007-05 Earth Day 2007 Festivities Schoonover, Bruce and Swank, Robin
2007-04 Lameshure Bay Estate of the 1950s Schoonover, Bruce
2007-04 Huguenot at Lameshur: Captain Ingiald Mourier Smothergill, Dan
2007-04 Lameshure Bay Explore Knight, David
2007-04 English Creole-The Spoken Word on St. John Sprauve, Elroy
2007-03 Presentation by Susan Lugo & Field Trip to the Caribbean Genealogy Library Swank, Robin
2007-02 Exploring Lieven Marche Bay Estate Ruins Knight, David
2007-02 Learning from Historical Resources York, Nina
2007-01 Mary's Point Hike Knight, David
2007-01 That's My Cousin, But I Don't Know How Phillips, Veronica
2007-01 Portrait for the Pastor: A brief summary of the life and heritage of Carl Emanuel Francis of St. John Knight, David
2006-06 John Gottliff: The Man Behind Buddoe Tyson, George F.
2006-06 St. John's Week-long 4th of July Festivities Aren't Just About United States Independence Knight, David
2006-06 Timeline of the Emancipation of the Danish West Indies Tyson, George F. and Holsoe, Svend
2006-04 St. John's Indigo Years Near, Don
2006-04 Gibney Family Gibney, Eleanor
2006-04 Boulon Family Boulon, Rafe
2006-03 Establishment of the VINP Schoonover, Bruce
2006-02 Quicklime - An Essential Material of the Colonial Period Knight, David
2006-02 Annaberg School Ruins at Mary's Creek Knight, David
2005-12 Mr. Elroy Sprauve Describes His Early Christmas Holidays on St. John Sprauve, Elroy
2005-12 Caneel Bay Estate Before Laurance Rockefeller Bang, Hjalmar
2005-11 ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas… (and Other Bedtime Stories) Prime, Lolly
2005-11 Soldier Crab Saga Boulon, Rafe
2005-10 Bay Rum: A Niche of Distinction in VI History Schulterbrandt, L.D.N., Gail
2005-04 Childhood Summers Spent on St. John Sprauve, Gaylord
2005-03 Acquisition of the Danish West Indies by the United States Schoonover, Bruce
2005-02 Governor Pearson and Affordable Housing Grove, Barbara Pearson Fogg
2005-02 Danish Struggle to Colonize St. John Larsen, Leif C.
2005-01 Post-Plantation and Pre-Tourism: Life and Work on St. John in the Early 20th Century Fortwangler, Crystal
2005-01 John Wright, Outstanding Citizen of the Danish West Indies Nielsen, Per
2005-01 Forest Island Gibney, Eleanor
2004-12 Early Schooling in Denmark and her Colonies Frellesvig, Eva
2004-12 Cruz Bay Christmas Recollections of Andro Childs in the 1930s and 40s Childs, Andro
2004-11 Rest in Peace Laurance Spelman Rockefeller Pishko, Chuck
2003-04 Lost People and Forgotten Places Knight, David Jr.
2001-11 St. John's Other Revolt: The Desertions of 1840 Knight, David W.
Date Title Author
1977-03 History of the Moravian Church Pront, Williard
1982-06 Emmaus Moravian Church: 200 Year Anniversary Emmmaus Moravian Church
2009-01 Botany Bay Notes Knight, David
2008-03 Lovango Cay Historical Timeline Knight, David
2008-02 Hassel Island Chronology Gjessing, Fredrick
2008-02 Estate Retreat Chronology Knight, David
2001-10 How Sugar Was Made on St. John during the Danish Colonial Period Knight, David
2001-03 Brief History of Sugar and Sugar Production in the West Indies Knight, David