Justin Dunnavant is an archaeologist and Assistant Professor of Anthropology at UCLA. His current research in the US Virgin Islands investigates the relationship between ecology and enslavement in the former Danish West Indies. He recently wrote an article about Maroon settlements on St Croix, USVI. In 1733, the Danish West India-Guinea Company purchased St. Croix from France and quickly expanded the island’s sugar and cotton production. Dunnavant said “but the Danes were never able to fully control the island — or the enslaved. By the end of the 1700s, nearly 1,400 people – more than 10% of the enslaved population — successfully escaped captivity.”
According to Danish records, Maronberg, there was a community of escaped slaves, known as Maroons, in the northwest mountain ranges of the island. Researchers like Dunnavant is trying to shed light on the mystery — where is Maronberg? He further shared that, “For a long time now, a large number of [escaped slaves] have established themselves on lofty Maroon Hill in the mountains toward the west end of the island [of St. Croix]. … They are there protected by the impenetrable bush and by their own wariness.”
Researchers are using new technology to see 300 years into the past and try to uncover the location of Maronberg, a community that successfully hid from the Danes during their occupation. By trying to locate these sites, archaeologists are working towards honoring a legacy and help us understand more about the Maroons who turned a rugged landscape into a sanctuary for freedom.
Read the full article on the St Croix Source here.
We also recommend you reading the Op-Ed piece on St Croix Source written by Professor Olasse Davis’ decades-long effort to preserve Maroon Country on St. Croix as part of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Territorial Parks system which is now a reality, click here to view.
Photo by Olasee Davisfeaturing the Maroon Hole, a difficult cliff below Maroon Ridge, where runaway slaves hid.
The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Department of Tourism and the Division of Festivals announced the official dates for the 2025–26 St. Croix Crucian Christmas Festival. From December 26, 2025, through January 3, 2026, the territory will be celebrating this annual holiday tradition and highlight the best of Crucian culture through music, food, parades, and community spirit.
Announcement:
“This year’s celebration is themed “Timeless Traditions in Every Mix,” and will feature signature events such as the Princess and Miss St. Croix Pageants, Calypso Monarch, Soca Monarch, Food Fair, and one of the Caribbean’s most exciting J’ouvert mornings. The festivities will culminate with vibrant parades in Christiansted, the Children’s Parade on January 2 and the always anticipated Adults Parade on January 3. Fireworks at Last Lap Village Night will close out the season in a stunning, sparkling fashion.“
For more information, please see the full press release here.
USVI Festivals – STX Poster 2025-26 with Schedule (PRNewsfoto/U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism)
This is amazing news! The Virgin Islands Architecture Center for Built Heritage and Crafts is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community development organization and it is transforming the Old Barracks Property on Hospital Street in Christiansted, St. Croix, into a hub for education, preservation, and cultural pride.
According to St Croix Source, VIAC has developed five-year, 10-year, and 15-year plans, which will begin with trade schools once the buildings are restored. Project Manager Xavier Acevedo, who is overseeing the execution of the project, described the first phase as stabilizing the building shell through plastering, replastering, and installing a historically accurate rebuild of what was once the Christiansted High School.
Historical preservation is also a priority for this project. VIAC has already begun community programming with the help to federal and private funding. Some of the VIAC’s current projects include the rehabilitation of the Barracks building, college internships and summer programs, and storytelling and placekeeping at the old Barracks property.
Two scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently visited St. Croix to study St. Croix’s coral reefs to guide protection efforts. According to the St Croix Source, the NOAA scientists who visited St. Croix from Miami included Ian Enochs, Ph.D., head of NOAA’s Coral Program at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), and oceanographer Nicole Besemer, the Caribbean Climate Operations Coordinator for the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP).
Enochs said, “NOAA recognizes the incredible economic and societal value of coral reefs, including the billions of dollars in tourism and fisheries they support for the U.S. economy, as well as the coastal and storm protection they provide to homes and communities,” he explained. “Our work is targeted at making sure that our American reef infrastructure is maintained for all that benefit from it.”
Enochs also said, ““St. Croix is home to beautiful coral reefs that support important fish populations and buffer the shore from wave energy, as well as provide amazing diving and snorkeling opportunities that bring in tourists and support local businesses,” and “Anyone walking through the towns can see the importance of diving and ocean tourism, and anyone that is lucky enough to actually see the reefs themselves underwater can view their beauty. Reefs are such a vital part of what makes St. Croix what it is.”
Vulnerabilities also exist in St Croix’s coral reefs. In some areas, there has been coral death from bleaching and disease. Besemer shared her observations, “My first time at the monitoring sites was in 2019, and we have now visited in 2022 and 2025,” Besemer said. “I have seen firsthand the difference and amount of coral that we have lost due to bleaching and coral disease in our photomosaics. It’s very important to track these changes and make sure managers, stakeholders and the general public are aware of the status of their reefs so informed decisions can be made to protect and restore them.”
There are typically three options when inheriting a home:
1. Move in:
If the property meets your needs and budget, moving in could be a meaningful and practical choice. Be sure to consider any outstanding mortgage, necessary repairs, or updates.
2. Sell the home:
Many heirs choose to sell, especially if the home doesn’t suit their lifestyle or if there are multiple inheritors. Before listing, you’ll want to handle any required repairs and clear out belongings. This can take time. Be sure to be gentle with yourself. Often selling a property brings up a lot of emotions.
3. Rent it out:
If you’re not ready to sell, but don’t plan to live there, renting can provide income while you figure things out. Just be prepared for landlord responsibilities, local rental laws, and potential property management needs.
For more information about what to do when you inherit a property visit our recent newsletter on the topic here.
Watch our YouTube video on What to Do When You Inherit a Island Home below.
We are excited to see this in the news! According to the VI Consortium, Senate Vice President Kenneth Gittens has formally requested assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restore the eroded shoreline at Fort Frederik Beach, one of Frederiksted’s most iconic coastal areas. His proposal seeks to combat ongoing environmental damage and to revive shoreline fishing opportunities that have long been part of local culture. Homeland Security protocols limits public access to port facilities after hours. Due to erosion and storm damage, Fort Frederik Beach is in need of help to bring it back as a recreational hub and a cultural landmark for St. Croix.
We think a restoration and revival project would be a great benefit to the greater community. Local residents and visitors will be able to enjoy the area.
