WELCOME TO THE DIGITAL ARCHIVE
The VIAC Storytelling Team journeys through the archives and partners with researchers to discover the stories connected to the built heritage of the Virgin Islands and the Old Barracks Property. This digital archive will be where the community can access these stories. We invite you to dive into a treasure trove of research and other fantastic resources. Immerse yourself in the fascinating narratives crafted by the Storytelling Project Team, exploring the rich history of four distinct Barracks eras: the Danish Colonial period, the Early American era, the Christiansted High School era, and the VI Government Center era. This archive also houses the research and stories from the Danish Colonial period that historian George Tyson and researcher Camilla Jensen produced about St. Croix tradesmen and the Old Barracks for the Storytelling Project. Join us on this exhilarating journey of discovery and connection!
The Stories of 18th and 19th Century St. Croix Tradesmen
In an August 2026 archival research workshop, we uncovered the story of Anthony, a Crucian tradesmen who lived in 18th/19th century St. Croix. We followed the clues in the Danish West Indian archives and with the guidance of researcher Camilla Jensen, we combed through church, mortgage, freedmen and other lists to discover the human behind the name. We learned that Anthony was able to purchase his freedom and that of his family and friends through the money that he earned as a carpenter. Thank you to all the community members who came out and joined us on the Storytelling journey. The VIAC Storytelling Project is funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Thank you to our partners at the RT Park Accelerator space in Christiansted for hosting us.
St. Croix Source story Uncovering the Stories of St. Croix Tradesmen: A Journey Through the Danish West Indian Archives by Joshua Canning
An Enslaved Carpenter on Fisher street
A Tradesman, a House on Fisher Street, and an Unusual Record of Enslavement
John William Hoystrup:
A Mason Who Bought Freedom Twice.
Nero: An Enslaved Mason At Rust Op Twist
Labor, Family, and the Built Landscape of Enslavement
Petrus Simmons: The Mason of Estate Cane Valley
Enslaved from birth until emancipation,
Petrus learned his father’s trade and passed it to his freeborn son
WE HONORED ST. CROIX HISTORIAN DR. KAREN C. THURLAND FOR HER BODY OF WORK
VIAC is pleased to honor St. Croix historian Dr. Karen C. Thurland for her published body of work about St. Croix and its people.
From Christiansted, St. Croix, she is an historian, educator and author who has published books such as The Thurland Family and the Furniture Making Tradition, Peter G. Thurland Sr.: Master Cabinetmaker and Bandleader and Tradesmen of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands which tell the story of our architecture, built heritage and the craftsmen of days gone by who contributed to our culture and traditions.
Memories of Christiansted with Bobby Schuster
Robert “Bobby Schuster” is a VIAC Board Member and a history buff with a vast collection of historical photos of St. Croix which he curated from national and international repositories. He is a former math and science educator with 55 years in the technology field from network design to software programming and integration. He conducted on-line research 12 years before the Internet (1982 –ITT). A Vietnam veteran, Schuster currently works as a consultant/resultant involved in national and international smart city and regional supply chain center development, agricultural startups and the interoperability of systems on the IoT.
Oral History Interviews from the Storytelling Project
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Navigating life’s intricate fabric, choices unfold paths to the extraordinary, demanding creativity, curiosity, and courage for a truly fulfilling journey.
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Navigating life’s intricate fabric, choices unfold paths to the extraordinary, demanding creativity, curiosity, and courage for a truly fulfilling journey.
Name
Navigating life’s intricate fabric, choices unfold paths to the extraordinary, demanding creativity, curiosity, and courage for a truly fulfilling journey.
