Virgin Islands Sites

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Civil Works Administration carried out “repairs and renewals" work at the Abraham Lincoln Elementary School (now J. Antonio Jarvis School) on St. Thomas.

The federal Public Works Administration helped to provide funding for the construction of an airport hangar during the 1930s (PWA Federal Project No. 223). The airport, under the name Bourne Field, served as a military airfield and, during the early 1940s, the hangar was extended an addition 100 feet. (Navy.mil) The hangar served as the passenger terminal for the Harry S Truman Airport; the building was fully replaced when a new terminal was completed in 1990. The old hangar was most likely demolished between 1980 and the early 1990s. The airport has since been renamed the Cyrus E. King Airport.

The Works Progress Administration completed improvements on Altona Road and vicinity. “At the entrance to the French Village area was a corner that constituted a death trap ever since the large increase in automobile traffic in the island. The danger in this corner was almost entirely eliminated by raising the entire road of the north and south approach, widening the bridge at the corner and removing the old masonry sidewall. It is now possible for drivers to see both ways when approaching the corner.”

The CWA completed land improvements at Anna’s Hope, including the improvement of roads, grounds, installing drainage, and terracing the grounds.

The CWA made land improvements at Anna’s Hope on St. Croix. The work included improvement of roads, grounds, installing drainage, and terracing the grounds.

The Works Progress Administration completed improvements work on Annaly Road in Frederiksted.

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Civil Works Administration carried out “repairs and renewals” work at the Benjamin Franklin School (renamed Guy Benjamin School) on St. John.

The WPA carried out construction and improvements on Bjerge Gade in Charlotte Amalie. Road construction and improvements carried out by the WPA in the Virgin Islands typically included “clearing the old roadway widening existing curves, blasting rock from the road surface and drains, relocating where necessary, installing culverts, preparing the subgrade and placing the bituminous macadam surface.”

The WPA carried out construction and improvements on Bjerge Gade in Charlotte Amalie. Road construction and improvements carried out by the WPA in the Virgin Islands typically included “clearing the old roadway widening existing curves, blasting rock from the road surface and drains, relocating where necessary, installing culverts, preparing the subgrade and placing the bituminous macadam surface.”

Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) laborers conducted grading and landscaping work on the Bluebeard Castle Hotel grounds. Improvements included the construction of additional sleeping quarters and a parking area. CCC workers also built a water storage system. "Since no well water is available it is necessary to catch all rain water which is stored in large cisterns under the buildings."    

"Among the several projects in the Virgin Islands was the Bluebeard Castle Hotel. The group of buildings was erected on the summit of a hill 200 feet above the sea. An ancient stone tower with walls 5 1/2 feet thick, is supposed to have been the watchtower of the famous legendary pirate, Bluebeard. The building on the right in the larger illustration contains the lobby, administrative offices, dining room, bar, kitchen, and service rooms. A detail of its entrance portico is illustrated on the right side of this page. Terraces planted with palms, tropical flowers, and foliage surround all the...

The Civil Works Administration carried out improvements work on Bog-of-Allen Road, to make the road passable for vehicular traffic.

The WPA carried out construction and improvements on Bunker Hill in Charlotte Amalie. Road construction and improvements carried out by the WPA in the Virgin Islands typically included “clearing the old roadway widening existing curves, blasting rock from the road surface and drains, relocating where necessary, installing culverts, preparing the subgrade and placing the bituminous macadam surface.”

The Works Progress Administration completed improvements on Canaan-Rosendal Road on St. Thomas. The work included blasting away rock outcroppings to smooth the road surface.

The CCC built new camp facilities at Estate Mandahl on St. Thomas.

The CCC built camp facilities near Lindbergh Bay in St. Thomas. The Annual Report of the Governor of the Virgin Islands for 1938 describes the CCC's effort to expand enrollment and camp facilities across the islands: "The senior camp in St. Thomas has maintained an enrollment of approximately 75 persons, and the junior camps in St. Thomas and St. Croix have maintained their authorized enrollment of 100 men each. In the next fiscal year it is proposed to increase the enrollment of the St. Croix camp from 100 to 150 men" In 1939, the Lindbergh Bay camp moved to make way for a Marine Corps...

The CCC built camp facilities at Estate Grand Princess (La Grande Princesse) near Christiansted. The Annual Report of the Governor of the Virgin Islands for 1938 describes the CCC's establishment and planned expansion of the camp in St. Croix, "the junior camps in St. Thomas and St. Croix have maintained their authorized enrollment of 100 men each. In the next fiscal year it is proposed to increase the enrollment of the St. Croix camp from 100 to 150 men."

On January 29, 1935, the Emergency Conservation Work was inaugurated on the Virgin Islands and the CCC was established along with two camps. The CCC built camp facilities across the islands, on St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. The Annual Report of the Governor of the Virgin Islands, published betweeen 1935 and 1942 describes the CCC’s effort to establish and expand the camps: “Substantial and well-equipped camp buildings have been constructed, the necessity to provide against hurricanes making it desirable to provide sturdy housing units. The enrollees (limited to the ages between 18 and 25 years) are benefiting by improved food and...

The CCC carried out a forestation project that involved planting hardwood trees at Clabash Boom, at Johnson Bay on St. John.

The Annual Report of the Governor of the Virgin Islands for 1938 describes the establishment of new camp facilities on St. John: "During the year, a side camp was established on the island of St. John, where there are now 26 persons enrolled in the senior camp."

The PWA carried out construction work for Center-Line Road in St. Croix between 1933 and 1934.

The Centerline Road in St. Croix was paved by Civilian Conservation Corps crews enrolled in Camp V-2. The work was completed so that the US President could drive from Frederiksted to Christiansted on a paved road, but mostly for the development of the islands highway infrastructure. The road was built by two teams (originally called gangs). Gang one was lead by Mr L. Alexander and they did the clearing and filling. Gang one numbered about 60 men. Gang two was lead by Charles Schuster and they did the paving and it amounted about 40 men. Contributor note: this information was told to me by...

The Works Progress Administration built new bathroom facilities at the Christiansted Grammar School. The site of the school is today occupied by the Florence Williams Public Library.

The Works Progress Administration built a new cistern and carried out the repairs and extension of the water and sewer systems, at Christiansted Hospital. Today, the facilities, known as Old Hospital, are vacant and in an advanced state of disrepair.

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Civil Works Administration carried out “repairs and renewals” work at the Christiansted Junior High School (renamed Elena Christian Junior High School) on St. Croix.

The Public Works Administration reconstructed the Leper Asylum on St. Croix and added new buildings that included a laboratory. The colony was originally located two miles west of Christiansted, in the Richmond district, adjacent to a penitentiary and an "insane asylum." "On St. Croix a new leper colony will be set up with $25.000 of PWA funds," writes The News-Review from Roseburg, Oregon, on June 27, 1934. As noted in National Archives records, the work included the construction of three new cottages, dormitory buildings, completion of… cisterns, drains, additional water supply, construction of sidewalks, grading and landscaping at the Leper Colony...

The Works Progress Administration completed hardsurfacing work on Church Street in Christiansted.

The WPA carried out construction and improvements on Commandant Gade in Charlotte Amalie. Road construction and improvements carried out by the WPA in the Virgin Islands typically included “clearing the old roadway widening existing curves, blasting rock from the road surface and drains, relocating where necessary, installing culverts, preparing the subgrade and placing the bituminous macadam surface.”

The Works Progress Administration installed new sewer lines on Commandant Gade in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.

The CWA paved Company Street between 1933 and 1934. “Entire block between Queen and King Cross asphalted and 200 ft. between King Cross and Princess Street also asphalted, balance of block 150 ft. graded ready for stones and asphalt.”

“Extensive repairs were made to Creque Reservoir in St. Croix where silting and increasing seepage endangered the dam structure which impounds 9,000,000 gallons of potable water. The dam footings have been strengthened and the reservoir area cleaned and put in order for the storage of water when the rains fall.” Built in 1926, the Creque Dam is a 45-foot high arch dam that stores water for Frederiksted. Today, the water in the reservoir sometimes runs low because of a leak.

CCC workers carried out improvement work at the scenic Crown Mountain Road in St. Thomas.

The WPA carried out construction and improvements on De Beltjen Rd. in Charlotte Amalie. Road construction and improvements carried out by the WPA in the Virgin Islands typically included “clearing the old roadway widening existing curves, blasting rock from the road surface and drains, relocating where necessary, installing culverts, preparing the subgrade and placing the bituminous macadam surface.”

The CWA did construction work for the Diamond School on St. Croix. “Setting door frames with concrete forms around, setting concrete forms around steel sashes, laying rib lath for roof, erecting iron columns for lean to roof preparing to pour roof”

The Public Works Administration carried out “repairs and improvements to the quarters of the Director of Police.” The cost of the project was $1,742.89.

The Agricultural Experiment Station was built with the help of PWA funds, near Dorothea. The total expenditure for the removal of the "agricultural station from Lindbergh Bay, St. Thomas, to new site at Estate Dorothea, St Thomas, including the purchase of land at Estate Dorothea and the construction of buildings for the agricultural station thereon" was $28,709.

The WPA carried out construction and improvements on Dronningens Gade in Charlotte Amalie. Road construction and improvements carried out by the WPA in the Virgin Islands typically included “clearing the old roadway widening existing curves, blasting rock from the road surface and drains, relocating where necessary, installing culverts, preparing the subgrade and placing the bituminous macadam surface.”

The Works Progress Administration installed new sewer lines on Dronningens Gade in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.

The CCC performed forestation work that included the “development of approximately 4,000 acres at the east end of St. Croix as a mahogany forest.”

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Civil Works Administration carried out “repairs and renewals” work at the East Hill School on St. Croix.