Jewish Cemetery Chapel, HABS No. VI-14 
!'Be-th Ha~Chaim!!  (House of Life) 
North side Kronprindsens Gade at U!A^f'" 
Jewish Cemetery entrance '   ^w 
West  of City Limits   ^., ■.,.., ,.,^^ Q_,_Wv.. VX 
Charlotte Amaiie VICINITY' 3~CHAM,V 
St- Thomas 
Virgin Islands 1 
PHOTOGRAPHS 
WRITTEN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA 
Historic American Buildings Survey 
National Park Service 
Washington Planning and Service Center 
1730  ■■.orth Lynn Street 
Arlington,    Virginia 
• 
HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY      HABS Mo."VI-14 
U A. Q CL 
JEWISH CEMETERY CHAPEL, "BETH HA-CHAIM" (HOUSE OF LIFE)        u«~ 
L2£§liSQ-        Horth side Kronprindsens Gade at Jewish j ^    
J 
Cemetery Entrance, West of City Limits, 
Charlotte Amalle Vicinity, St. Thomas, Virgin 
Islands. 
IlMP^D^Qj^^- St. Thomas Jewish Congregation of Blessing and 
Peace and Acts of Piety. 
Z£££ent_iJse:     Cemetery Chapel. 
Statement        A companion structure to the St. Thomas 
of Signiif,icance;  Synagogue at Krystal Gade 16A and B, the 
cemetery chapel is a simple but interesting 
structure. The Sephardic rites and traditions, 
which the St. Thomas congregation observe, 
require a separate building for funerals. 
FART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION 
A. Physical History: 
1. Origins! and subsequent ownere; St. Thomas 
Jewish Congregation of Blessing and Peace and Acts 
of Piety, 
2. Date of erection: 1837. The building is dated 
over the entrance gate 559V in the Jewish calendar, 
which corresponds with A.D. 1537. The oldest grave 
in the cemetery dates from the same year. Prior 
to this time the Jewish congregation used a cemetery 
at Sillce Gade and j£>de Gade. The date inscribed on 
the gate is accepted ss the date of erection for 
the chapel. 
The style of the building would not contradict 
this date, and since the cemetery was used for the 
first time in that year and the rites of the 
congregation required a cemetery chapel, one must 
have been built then. There is no evidence that 
this chapel has replaced an earlier one in this 
cemetery.  The cemetery lies just outside the area 
Included in the Hingelherg Map of Charlotte Amalie 
of 1836-37. 
3. Notes on alterations and additions: Mo apparent 
alterations. 
Prepared by Dr. Osmund R. Overby, Architect 
National Park Service 
August 1965 
JEWISH CEMETERY CHAPEL, 
nBETH HA-CIIAIM"   (HOUSE OF 
LIFE) HABS Uo.  VI-14- 
(Page  2) 
PART .II.   ARCHITECTURAL INFQRMATIOK
T 
A. General Statement: 
1. Architectural interest and merit:     Companion "building 
to the Synagogue. 
2. Condition of fabric:     Well maintained;   in continuous 
use as  cemetery chapel. 
B. Description of Exterior: 
1. Over-all dimensions:     One story,  load bearing masonry, 
octagonal.    Almost 2$'   in diameter. 
2. Foundations:    Probably brick and stone rubble masonry. 
3. Wall construction:    Probably brick and stone  rubble 
masonry with brick around the  openings,  all surfaces 
well plastered, 
4. Openings:     doorways and doors:    Two doorways, 
one each on north and south sides.    Slightly 
wider than single windows on each of the other 
six sides.    All openings have pointed arches 
(approximately equilateral)-    All have wooden 
exterior shutters, vertical plank outside and 
three panel inside.    No interior shutters.    No 
splay in reveals. 
5. Roof: 
a. Shape, covering: Eight sided cone with sheet 
metal covering (painted red) on beaded wooden 
planks supported by rafters with an elaborate 
system of cross bracing made up of two cross 
ties from sill to sill, king post, supplementary 
cross ties, and much diagonal bracing. Roof 
flares slightly near eave line. Wooden finial 
at top. 
b. Cornice, eaves: Simple band cornice at top of 
wall. Gutter encompasses roof and drains 
» 
"'    •    ' JEWISH CKMfiXERY CHAPEL 
!iBKIH RA~CHAIM
!!   (HOUSE  OF 
LIBS) HABS No.  VI-U 
(Page  3) 
to exposed riveted metal cistarn at left rear. 
C. Description of Interior; 
1. Floor plan: Simple octagon, single room. 
2. Flooring: Patched concrete floor v/ith incised 
square pattern. 
3. Wall and ceiling finish: Lime plaster painted grey 
inside and outside. Exposed wooden ceiling painted white 
4. Doorways and doors: None. 
5. Hardware; Wrought iron pintles, strap hinges, hooks, 
eyes,and box lock. 
6. Lighting: Two fixtures for single candles hung from 
cross tie. 
7. Heating:  No facilities. 
D. Site: 
1. General setting and orientation: Entrance faces 
south; freestanding building 15 feet from entrance 
gate to Jewish Cemetery; located in cemetery area 
in west Charlotte Amalie. 
2. Enclosures: A  fence of brick and stone rubble, laid 
in lime mortar and patched with cement, borders the 
entire cemetery. There is a plastered masonry 
entrance with wrought iron picket two-leaf gate. 
3. Walks: Concrete steps down three risers from gate, 
to concrete walk to chapel. Concrete rain catcher 
around periphery of building is dished. About one 
foot wide. 
4. Landscaping: Palms and various other trees and flowers 
in unkept cemetery. 
Prepared by Philip E. Gardner,, Architect 
National Park Service 
Summer 1958 
m