March 13, 2008 — Students from Syracuse University are working to piece together and restore an important part of St. Thomas history — and they're inviting the public to come out and help.
For the last few weeks, the students — led by archaeology professor Douglas Armstrong — have set up their own archaeological dig site atop Kongens Gade (Government Hill), and have been uncovering artifacts that would give them a better picture of life in 18th and 19th century Charlotte Amalie. Located next to the historical Haagensen House and 99 steps, the site once housed the estate of Joachim Melchior Magens — a Danish official with roots on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.
The main part of the house was knocked down nearly a decade ago in Hurricane Marilyn, but the remaining foundation speaks volumes about V.I. architecture and cultural practices, Armstrong said Thursday. The hillside, for example, is terraced, indicating that the walls of the main compound housed a mix of living quarters, mini-livestock farms and gardens — not a rare occurrence for a "city lot" located in that area, Armstrong explained.
While most of the estate's occupants can be traced through local census and tax records, there are few, such as the Magens' servants, not mentioned in the books. Still, the house bears their history, Armstrong said, pointing out little carvings above the remaining door frames that bear the mark of specific free black carpenters or artisans.
Though many of the students are freshmen or sophomores on their first trip to the islands, Syracuse grad student Christian Williamson has been involved in the dig process since October and is using the excavation as the basis of his dissertation on early African-American settlements.
"It's rare to find a town site as intact as this," he said. "It gives us a great opportunity to see what the people living on this hill were like, from the well-to-do families, to those individuals who are not mentioned in the census and tax records. Prior to emancipation, there were slaves living on the property as well, and their material culture is popping up everywhere."
In addition to finding layers of ceramics, glass, coins and other gems, Williamson and the group have unearthed large quantities buttons made from the bones of some of the livestock raised on the estate.
"These individuals may have used the buttons for their own clothing, or sold them as a side business," he said. Armstrong added that in the old port of Charlotte Amalie, "seamstressing" and clothing industries were popular, and the buttons may have been sold to boat merchants coming into town.
"It's also interesting to see how these houses were built to mesh with the Caribbean environment," Armstrong said. "We see things like lead pipes leading to cisterns, which shows that they were big on water conservation. We see thick walls and porches, to keep the house cool on hot days. We see so much here in excellent condition, it's amazing."
While the group hopes to link their findings to each generation of the house's occupants, the State Historical Preservation Office and Kongens Quarter Historical Trust is ultimately planning on restoring the site using the existing foundation, Armstrong said. Meanwhile, the dig will run into the summer months, and local residents are invited to come out and help in their free time.
For more information on the Kongens Quarter project, call the Blackbeard's Castle tour director at 776-1234.
Back Talk
Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name and city and state/country or island where you reside.
