Creque Marine Railway Head House and Residence Historic Structure Report
PaleoWest Architect. 2021. Creque Marine Railway Head House and Residence Historic Structure Report. Historic Structure Report. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Atlanta, Georgia
This Historic Structure Report (HSR) for the Creque Marine Railway Head House and Residence at Virgin Islands National Park proposes an approach for treating and using the historic property, in concert with previous planning documents and in accordance with federal guidelines. The HSR deals primarily with the historic context and background information and Hassel Island and the Virgin Islands, incorporated with the original historic building's structure, materials, and equipment. For each component, the report provides developmental history, existing conditions, character-defining features, and treatment recommendations. The Creque Marine Railroad, on the northern edge of Hassel Island, is one of the few steam-powered marine railways in the world. It was in operation for over a century, from the 1840s to the early 1960s, the Creque Marine Railway with its original steam-powered equipment provides an early example of marine vessel repair technology in the Western Hemisphere. The strategic location of the United States Virgin Islands places the Creque Marine Railway within the larger context of nineteenth and twentieth century Danish and U.S. imperialism. The Virgin Islands served as a trading post for important goods such as sugar cane, cotton, and tobacco. With its natural protective harbors, the island soon grew in reputation as a stopping point for trading ships. In 1840, a group of Dutch businessmen formed the St. Thomas Marine Railway Company and began construction on what was then called the St. Thomas Marine Repairing Slip. This site eventually became the Creque Marine Railway in 1911.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- PaleoWest Architect
- Date of Issue
- 2021-01-28
- Publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
- Units
- SER , VIIS
- Keywords
- cistern, colony, Danish West Indies, economy, engine equipment, hurricane, imperialism, pier, railway, slavery, St. Thomas Marine Railway Company, sugar, trade, winch
- Subjects
- CRIS-HS: 680339: Winch House (Creque Marine Railway)