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Take our photo
tour of the pirate sites and historic homes. 
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The historic homes and Blackbeard's
Castle shown on this page are featured in the Walking Tour of St. Thomas,
beginning at Blackbeard's Castle in Charlotte Amalie. |
For more information about the
historic walking tour of St. Thomas, call the Tour Director at Blackbeard's Castle 340-776-1234 or email hh1827@viaccess.net |
Highlights: Pirates and historical homes of St. Thomas
On this page:
ks on this page:
Blackbeard
the Pirate
Blackbeard's
Castle
Hotel
1829
NEW Special Pages:
Haagensen
House
Villa
Notman
Blackbeard the Pirate
There is a muted line between the true
history and the myths surrounding Edward Teach (or sometimes "Thatch")
who became regarded as Blackbeard the Pirate. Colorful legends often mix
bits of reality together with fantasy. The famous name seems to have been
taken from his particularly great and bushy black beard.
Charles Johnson's General History of Pyrates describes him: "In
time of Action, he
wore a Sling over his Shoulders, with three brace of Pistols, hanging in
Holsters like Bandoliers; he wore a Fur-Cap, and stuck a lighted Match on
each Side, under it, which appearing on each side his Face, his Eyes naturally
looking Fierce and Wild, made him altogether such a Figure, that Imagination
cannot form an idea of a Fury, from Hell, to look more frightful."
That certainly sparks images of a great adventurer!
Blackbeard's encounters with English ships are recorded in varying accounts
along the eastern coast of the United States and particularly the Carolinas.
Bringing him closer to the Virgin Islands, Johnson reports, "In December
last I had information of a Pyrate Ship of 36 Guns and 250 men, and a Sloop
of 10 Guns and a 100 men were Said to be Cruizing amongst the Leeward Islands,
I accordingly Sailed hence the 18th of Said month for Antegoa to join the
Seaford, there were informed the Said Pyrate Ship and Sloop were gone to
Leeward, the 23 December we proceeded for Nevis, and St Christophers, from
which Islands I had an Officer and 20 Soldiers put on board me for the Cruize
was here informed that Said Pyrates had been off this Island about three
weeks before and there Sunk a French Ship load with Sugars, we proceeded
to Spanish Town, Santa Cruiz (St. Croix), St Thomas, and Crabb Island."
And here this history joins the stories of the tower known as Blackbeard's
Castle on St. Thomas. You can almost imagine his ship, The Queen Anne's
Revenge sitting in the harbour of the town now known as Charlotte Amalie.
Blackbeard is not to be confused with Bluebeard the pirate -really Eduard
de Barbe-Bleue, who is noted for having many wives including the woman known
as the Spanish witch.
History of Blackbeard's Castle
St. Thomas Skytsborg Tower
Skytsborg Tower (meaning sky tower),
was built in 1679 by the Danes as a watchtower for the harbor of Charlotte
Amalie. It is located at the highest point on 
Government Hill. Danish Soldiers used Skytsborg as a vantage point to
spot enemy ships and protect impressive Fort Christian from attacks.
Fort Christian is at sea level, which was ideal for warding off attackers
with canon fire, but did not offer a good enough view of the incoming
ships before they entered the harbor. It is not known what year Skytsborg
Tower took on the name of Blackbeard's Castle, but the infamous Edward
Teach, commonly known as Blackbeard the Pirate, did sail the Caribbean
waters in the early 1700s.
It has become part of the lore of the island that he used the Tower as
a vantage point for his own treacherous purposes. Blackbeard's Castle
is one of four National Historic sites in the US Virgin Islands. It was
the centerpiece of a private residence for many years, then became a beautiful
small hotel, known as The Inn at Blackbeard's Castle with the tower near
the pool, however, the inn is currently closed to overnight guests (2007),
but is the base for the historical
walking tour.
Hotel 1829
This dramatic and romantic small hotel
was actually built in 1829 by Alexander Lavalette, a wealthy French sea
merchant.
It is one of the largest homes in the Kongens Quarter (King's Quarter)
of Charlotte Amalie. The old dining room has its original floors, hand
painted Moroccan glazed tiles laid in a harlequin pattern with terra cotta
tiles from Martinique. It has a beautiful stained glass window by Tiffany
called "In Search of the Promised Land". There are 300 year
old Italian chess pieces large enough to stand guard on each side of the
doorway.
The historic kitchen was originally built inside the main house, which
was extraordinary for that era. Kitchens were always built in separate
structures because of heat and fire danger. Today, the old kitchen is
now the popular bar of the hotel. Hotel 1829 is a "U" shaped
house with a large courtyard leading to the West Indian "Welcoming
Arms" staircase. The stairs flair out at the base as if embracing
you while ascend them. The upstairs areas are for hotel guests only. Standing
in front of the hotel, you can still see Alexander Lavalette's initials
in the wrought iron of the upstairs balcony. The house became a hotel
in 1906.
Hotel 1829 has been featured in Travel & Leisure magazine as
a "Gem of a hotel".The dramatic and romantic atmosphere lingers
from the bygone era. For more information and photos, visit our Hotel
1829 web pages.
The historic homes and Blackbeard's Castle shown on this page are featured in the Walking Tour of St. Thomas, beginning at Blackbeard's Castle in Charlotte Amalie. |
For more information about the historic walking
tour of St. Thomas, call the Tour Director at Blackbeard's Castle 340-776-1234 or email hh1827@viaccess.net Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI |
©2000 - 2006 The Inn at Blackbeard's Castle. All contents of this Virgin Island Vacation Travel internet site are copyrighted property. Any reproduction of the photographs, art, or other contents is prohibited. Hotel 1829 is the copyrighted name and property of The Inn at Blackbeard's Castle.
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