Virgin Islands Sites

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration carried out repair work at the Richmond Penitentiary in the vicinity of Christiansted. The repair work included roof repairs after fire-related damage. Today, the facilities are vacant and in an advanced state of disrepair.

“$50,000 water supply project at Charlotte Amalie… for utilization of salt water… for sanitation and for fire-protection purposes… Water is pumped from the sea into a new concrete tank 250 feet above the town… two new power pumps with a capacity of 12,000 gallons an hour force it through a new network of pipes to homes for sewage and to hydrants for the fire protection purposes… to overcome the problem of rust corrosion by salt water in cast-iron pipes, PWA engineers put a concrete lining in 7,000 feet of water mains and 5,000 feet of sewers.”

In St. Croix, the Civilian Conservation Corps worked on the development of Federally owned land at Sandy Point. The 1938 Annual Report of the Governor of the Virgin Islands mentions that the land "is being cleared of brush and planted in coconuts, and which is now extensively used as a recreational center by residents of the western part of the island.”  

The Public Works Administration (PWA) reconstructed the Shipley’s Battery and Signal Station on Hassell Island, in the vicinity of Charlotte Amalie. The cost of the PWA work was $4,495.87.

The WPA carried out construction and improvements on Silke 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 Silke Gade in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.

The CCC built a road in Solberg, a settlement on St. Thomas.

“Construction work is under way on St. Peter Mountain Road, St. Thomas, on Feb. 1, 1937. Public Works employees are scattered up and down the steep hillside, building dry stone retaining walls. The work was organized under the Works Progress Administration as project OR 5-230.” Also in 1937, CCC wokers carried out improvement work on  St. Peter Mountain Road. "The Civilian Conservation Corps likewise carried on a substantial road program of which the St. Peters Mountain Road improvement constitutes the most important achievement. This scenic drive is being extended at the present time with a view to developing a circular drive...

The PWA and the Army Corps of Engineers made improvements to areas around St. Thomas Harbor and Lindbergh Bay. The work included filling swamp areas to reduce the incidence of malaria, and dredging to deepen and widen the “Haul Over Channel,” which connects the west end of St. Thomas Harbor to East Gregerie Channel.

The PWA carried out repairs and preservation work for the Steeple Building in 1933. Located on the Christiansted National Historic Site, the structure was built by the government of the Danish West Indies and Guinea Company to serve as a Lutheran Church for the Danish colonial venture on the Virgin Island.  The building was subsequently converted to various uses. "Constructed in 1753 to house the first faith community established in Christiansted, the Steeple Building was originally the Church of our Lord God of Sabaoth. Its current name comes from the steeple that served for generations as a landmark for mariners entering the...

The CWA paved Strand Street between 1933 and 1934. "First coat of asphalt poured in block Fisher and Queen Street, block Queen and Hill ready for first coat of asphalt, large stones ready for rolling block Hill and King.”

The Public Works Administration (PWA) executed the “construction of a house for teachers at Diamond School.” The cost was $2,497.87.

The Works Progress Administration completed improvements on Torvet Saint Road, in Charlotte Amalie. The work included grading, curbing, and paving.

The WPA carried out construction and improvements on Vester 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 water lines on Vester Gade in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.