UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Form No. 10-300 , 7 -'d j)/^ / /I Oflet / NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOBNPSUSE DATEFNTFRFD JUL 1 STO SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN/yOIV TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES - COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS [NAME HISTORIC Diamond School AND/OR COMMON [LOCATION STREET*. NUMBER ^ ^ K ^ U ^ I) ® .V, —NOT FOR PUBLICATION CITY. TOWN Christiansted _X VICINITY OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 1 STATE U.S. Virain Islands CODE 78 COUNTY St. Croix CODE 0000 HcLASSIFI CATION CATEGORY OWNERSHIP STATUS PRESENT USE —DISTRICT i^PUBLIC ^.OCCUPIED —AGRICULTURE —MUSEUM X_BUILDING(S) —PRIVATE —UNOCCUPIED —COMMERCIAL —PARK —STRUCTURE —BOTH —WORK IN PROGRESS —EDUCATIONAL .^-PRIVATE RESIDENCE —SITE PUBLIC ACQUISITION ACCESSIBLE —ENTERTAINMENT —RELIGIOUS —OBJECT —IN PROCESS X_YES: RESTRICTED —GOVERNMENT —SCIENTIFIC —BEING CONSIDERED —YES: UNRESTRICTED —INDUSTRIAL —TRANSPORTATION —NO —MILITARY X-OTHER:BOy SCQltS [OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME . . , _ Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands STREET & NUMBER Government House CITY. TOWNCharlotte Amalie VICINITY OF STATE U.S. Virgin Islands 00801 [LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS,ETC. Rgcorder of Deeds STREET & NUMBER Government House CITY. TOWN Christiansted STATE U.S. virgin Islands a REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE Historic American BuiJdings Survey DATE X-FEDERAL —STATE —COUNTY —LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS National Park Service CITY. TOWN STATE D.C. DESCRIPTION CONDITION —EXCELLENT X-GOOD —FAIR —DETERIORATED —RUINS —UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE ^UNALTERED —ALTERED CHECK ONE ?Loriginalsite —MOVED DATE- DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE The Diamond School lies south of Center Line Road, 3.5 miles east of Fort Frederick, Frederiksted, St. Croix, it is significant as one example of eight schools of identical design built on St. Croix as a result of Governor-General Peter von Scholten's efforts to improve the conditions of the slaves. Construction of the school began in or soon after 1839, and was completed by 1842. Albert I^vmand (1827-1847) from Denmark was the architect-builder of Diamond and the other so-called "von Scholten schools". Lj^vmand received a classical education in architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen before coming to the West Indies in 1832, and the design of the schools is a clear projection of this classical training. The building faces Center Line Road on the north, with the long axis running east-west. Constructed of rubble masonry, covered with stucco, the building is a one story rectangle, measuring 63’ 11" by 37' 5", with seven bays on the long facades and three bays on the ends. As found in all the designs for the schools, the main facade is divided into three parts: a slightly projecting central section of three bays, flanked by two sections of two bays each. Capital bands, applied at a' level 3/8 down the elevation, on the piers dividing the bays give the engaged pilasters. The projecting foundation of the building (which serves as a watertable) and a one foot deep strip on the wall im- mediately below the cornice create a recessed panelled area of wall surface. Masonry quoins articulate the corners. There are three entrances to the building, on tte north, east, and west facades, approached by a flat, half pyramid of two steps. On the end facades, the doors have a large masonry surround tolled to imitate quoins and radiating blocks above the semi-circular arches. All windows and doors have flat heads and are set into round arched niches. The fanlight areas above the windows are filled in with masonry. All windows and doors have wood casings. The windows are without sills, have slightly projecting drip caps and are fitted with wooden shutters. Hardware on the window shutters includes wrought shutter hooks and iron strap hinges with heart-shaped cusps on drive pintles. There is a continuous molded cornice at the eaves. The roof is hipped and covered with corrugated metal. Form No. 10-300a I Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED >iUN DATE ENTERED aUL 1 W6 CONTI NU ATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 6 PAGE Three Virgin.Islands Inventory of Historic Places May, 1976 State Virgin Island Planning Office Charlotte Amalie, U.S.V.I. .rtf. i'>v' ;■ w fee ■' fe- ■ ■ p’/ i-' I* a ' r----iy-•^ ‘ ■T .r ■ ; : i' • -'t'. 4' e V . .’.A' ; . -V ■ \ -a:/ GPO 892 455 Form No. 10-300a (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM CONTI NUATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER # FOR NPSUSE ONLY RECEIVED JUN Z 8/6 DATE ENTERED JUL l m 7 PAGE one The exterior walls are painted pink, with white quoins, sur­ rounds, fanlights and molded bands on the central section of the facade. The shutters are green. The interior plan of the building is a single main room (with temporary partitions). The ceiling is noteworthy, as it is the typical West Indian "tray type", with a complex of exposed trusses. Behind the building on the southeast corner are two unidenti­ fied graves (probably of missionaries) and a cistern. A small square walled graveyard, 15' on a side, lies off the southwest corner. The wall is about five feet high, with a rounded top. I' GPO 892 455 SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD —PREHISTORIC —1400-1499 —1500-1599 —1600-1699 —1700-1799 X_1800-1899 —1900- areas OF SIGNIFICANCE - CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW —ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC —ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC —AGRICULTURE X-ARCHITECTURE __ART —COMMERCE —COMMUNICATIONS —COMMUNITY PLANNING —CONSERVATION —ECONOMICS 2CEDUCATI0N —ENGINEERING —EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE —LAW —LITERATURE —RELIGION —SCIENCE -SCULPTURE —INDUSTRY —INVENTION —MILITARY —MUSIC —PHILOSOPHY —POLITICS/GOVERNMENT -SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN —THEATER —TRANSPORTATION —OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES C. 1840 BUILDER/ARCHITECT Albert Lg^vmand STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Diamond School is significant as one of eight schools built on St. Croix specifically for slave children, as part of Governor- General Peter von Scholten's program to improve the condition of slaves. On June 4, 1839. vpn Scholten introduced an Edict of Free Compulsory Education for Slave Children. The schools were to be operated by Moravian Missionaries for slave children between the ages of six and 13. The construction was financed in part by the planters (who were taxed in proportion to their number of slaves) and in part by Burgher C ounci1 appropriations. The school presently serves as an office for the Boy Scouts. The Diamond School, designed by Albert I^vmand, is a good West Indian example of traditional Danish classicism with three part front facades articulated by flat engaged pilasters, corner quoining and a molded cornice below a low parapet which encloses a typical hip roof. s . ^4 Qmajor bibuographical references •111 De Fine Licht, Kjeld. Albert L^vmand and his work in the Former Danish West Indies. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historic vol. XXl, No. 3 October, 1962. Dookhan, Issac. A History of the Virgin Islands of the United States Epping, Essex: Bowker Publishing Company, 1974.. ^ ^ EDgeographical data ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY 0»5 aCreS UTM REFERENCES 17° 42' 45" 49" 64° 49 aL JL ZONE EASTING J I . 1 > 1 . ■ NORTHING B I 1 North Latitude West Longitude I . . ± I I . I I i I I . I . I . ■ I ZONE EASTIN i>LJ LI G NORT NORTHING j I . 1 . I ■ ■ VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE FORM PREPARED BY NAME/TITLE Samuel N. Stokes, Russell Wright, Annie Hillary, Maragret Proskauer. v.t tti rk ATC al Survey ORGANIZATION Virgin Islands Planning Office DATE May 22, 1976 STREETS NUMBER P.O. Box 2606 TELEPHONE (Rgci\ 774-1730 CITY OR TOWN STATE Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. U.S. Virgin Tsland.q nnsm Estate historic preservation officer certification THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS; NATIONAL___ STATE _X_ LOCAL As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service.^7 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE TITLE Director of Planning DATE May 25, 1976 FbRNPS. USE ONLY ;..;. :: ^ i HEREBYCgMIFY THATlIhlSfROPElfrY IS||- . 1 T Pi, 6P0 692 455 Property y/dJL^-^ sj-. C iV V. ^.iG.sr^o TECHNICAL ''UtrA CoJjL Jjl Photos ^ Maps / CONTR^ HISTORIAN i>ISl7le ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN ARCHEOLOGIST - OTHER HAER ; Inventory if'' Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF ftcctoT Cq>\l BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER National Register Write-up _________ Send-back Federal Register Entry Re-submit Entered jul 1 Ig; I N T :2 1 06- 74 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WASO No. 7 ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE ISLACTS JUL 1 1376 Date Entered Ncune Location • h, ■ ■ii Dlatoond School Ifriedansfcld lildlands Moravian Cliurcli and Mansa Botany Bay Archoological District , Enlghed or Enighenad tower Granard Archeological District A&lis Archoological Site River Archeological Site Chrlotlansted vicinity St. Croix County Chrletlansted vicinity St. Cr'cftx'County Charlotte Amalie vicinity St. Thomas County Cruz Bay St. John County Christlansted vicinity St. Croix County Fredoriksted vicinity St. Croix County Frederiksted vicinity St« Croix County Also Notified Hon. Ron De Lugo Regional Director, Southeast Region PR MMott/row 7/7/76 State Historic Precarvation Officer Mr. Thosias Blake Planning Director Virgin Islands Planning Board Charlotte Amalie St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 00801 IKT:2950-75 Data She© ”|j - 0 DATE; Reviewer INITIALS i 3^/^ DOE > )UL 1 1976 *^1 NAME AS IT APPEARS IN FEDERAL REGISTER; ^ OTHER KAKES; LOCATION STREETSi NUMBER^^^ aTY.TOWN y - CONGRESSIONAL DISTRIC^ 9a.^ A77T-f'i'e^~s ‘CBB5& OWNER OF PROPERTYJ (Circle) private ^"sSe^local gov't >mnicipal county other FEDERAL(agency NAME)i ADMINISTRATOR(underline) NPS REGION: (CIRCLE) N.ATLANTIC MID ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST MIDWEST SOUTHWEST ROCKY MOUNTAIN WEST PACIFIC NORTfflVEST features: INTERIOR J^Eubstantially intact-1 _ unknown - 4 _ not applicable - 7 EXTERIOR ^Substantially intact-2 __unknown .-5 __ not applicable - 8 ENVIRONS — S^jbstantiallv intact-3 Ijfwknown -6 __Not applicable-9 ^.Interior, exterior, environs not intact-0 CONDITION-A - IroooD DETERIORATED _RUINS _UNEXPOSEO «Unexcavate<1 l^tlNAI LUNALTERED ^ALTERED —Reconstructed -.Excavated RIQINALSITE —.MOVED —Unknown 1 ACCESS- ^es-restric^d^ Yes-unrestricted No access Unknown historic district? yes ^ WITHIN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT? IF YES,. NAME; YES WITHIN NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK? IF YES, NAJffi: YES ADAPTIVE use; <© » FUNCTION (S); (use vbcabulary words) Saved ? YES now- significance: —ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC - y —ARCHEOLOGY HISTORIC —-^ICULTURE ^-^{rchitectuhe —ART —COMMERCE —COMMUNICATIONS .tANOSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DEUGION .entertainment —CONSERVATION —ECONOMICS I^UCATION Claims ENGINEERING —EXPLORATION —INDUSTRY —INVENTION —uw/Gov’t/politics —SCIENCE —UTERATURE —MIUTARY —MUSIC —PHILOSOPHY —POUTICS/GOVERNMENT —.health y^ecreation DoaAL/HUMANiTARiAnxCDet t lement —TRANSPORTATION —OTHER ISPEaFV) —socio/cultural urban & commun planning 'first-’ YES ^2- oldest’-’ yes '*only’J YES dii7j) / architectural style; ^ architecV^m.builder; "Engineer; . landscap^garden designer: artist/artisan: interior decorator; builder/contractor id. ETHNIC group: ^2Utk atriltl P-SISonal RaEin. l/BV. .pp„pri.L.„) x^ev^v^^ i/.x.j ,5 ^aA-CftJZ. ,g^a.ctCEfc. institutional dates; date of construction (Specific date or 1/4 of century) DATE(S) OF "MAJOR" ALTERATIONS: ’ HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT DATE(S); source: (OF NOMINATION) PRIVATE OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY: ACREAGE, (to nearest tenth of an acre) LOCAL GOV"T MUNICIPAL COUNTY COMMENTS; (include architectural information here) StOCCOIO H'RSCsvDOa/^ Vi"^o<2->Vj KtO^Qoot^^ Tbsts> (^ovooetr ^QXWteo ^ V^^wt,vfcvn:s') • ' 5 P(2£>^ecrtovO 4X0-0^^. SIGNIFICANCE;(maximum two sentences) J ^ ^ ^ ^ jGvuJZ^ ^ peur-^