Ham's Bluff Lighthouse, Assistant Keeper's Quarters, Maroon Ridge of Ham's Bluff, North Star, St. Croix, VI

Significance: The significance of the two auxiliary buildings is their association with the Ham's Bluff Lighthouse. The Lighthouse was put into operation in 1913 by the Danish government in response to the building of the Panama Canal. The Danish government believed that, with the Panama Canal, the main route for ships from Europe to the Canal would be between St. Thomas and St. Croix and new navigational facilities would be needed in the Danish West Indies to enhance the U.S. Virgin Islands as an attractive way-station as well as to enhance the Island's attractiveness to the U.S. Government. At the time of construction the lighthouse was a manually operated gas light, hence the reason for the two auxiliary structures for the keepers. The Lighthouse now has an automatic battery operated light.

Survey number: HABS VI-165-B

Building/structure dates: 1912- 1913 Initial Construction

keeper houses concrete buildings laboratories domestic life navigation adaptive reuse navies storage lighthouses saint croix ham bluff lighthouse bluff lighthouse assistant keeper assistant keeper quarters maroon ridge maroon ridge north star croix j w blackwood board of danish lighthouse service brinck diego conde historic american buildings survey kenneth g stepka us department of the navy us lighthouse service photo ham bluff lighthouse ham bluff assistant keeper quarters ultra high resolution high resolution navy us navy danish st thomas saint thomas library of congress

1913 - 1980

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html