Estate Little Princess

Estate Little Princess is a historic plantation property located northwest of Christiansted on the island of Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is not a conventional commercial brand; rather, the name identifies a culturally and historically significant estate whose surviving buildings, industrial ruins, landscape, and interpretation facilities form a heritage and conservation site. The property is associated with the colonial agricultural economy of Saint Croix and was historically used for sugar production and rum manufacture. The estate was first owned by Governor Frederik Moth in 1738. Its original holding covered approximately 200 acres, although the preserved property is described as covering about 25 acres. The surviving landscape includes ruins that document the estate's former industrial role, including a windmill and remnants of the sugar and rum factory. These structures provide physical evidence of the island's plantation economy and the processing infrastructure that supported it. Among the principal buildings are a former Danish hospital and the great house. The great house, constructed in the nineteenth century, has been partially restored and contains a small exhibition featuring photographs, maps, and historical documents. Together, the architecture, ruins, and exhibition help explain the estate's ownership history, agricultural activity, and place within the broader history of Christiansted and Saint Croix. Estate Little Princess was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1980. In the modern period, the property has been converted into a nature preserve. As of 2011, The Nature Conservancy owned the estate and used it as the headquarters for its Eastern Caribbean and Virgin Islands programs. The site therefore combines conservation administration with public historical interpretation and guided tours. Access is provided by a minor road running northwest from the junction of VI75, also known as Northside Road, and VI74, or Rattan Road, approximately two kilometres northwest of Christiansted. Its present identity rests on preservation, education, ecological stewardship, and historic tourism rather than on the sale of branded consumer products.

Estate Little Princess is a historic estate northwest of Christiansted on Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its documented history begins in 1738, when the property was first owned by Frederik Moth, who served as governor. The estate formed part of Saint Croix's colonial plantation landscape and was primarily associated with sugar cultivation and rum production. Its industrial function shaped the physical character of the property, leaving behind factory remnants, a windmill, and other ruins connected with processing and agricultural operations. The estate originally extended across roughly 200 acres. Only about 25 acres are identified with the preserved historic property today, making the surviving buildings and ruins a concentrated record of the estate's former scale and activities. The remains illustrate the relationship between plantation agriculture, processing facilities, water or wind-powered infrastructure, and the built environment of the island. Two especially important structures are the former Danish hospital and the great house. The great house was built in the nineteenth century and, along with the hospital, has undergone partial restoration. The great house now contains a modest interpretive exhibition with photographs, maps, and documentary material. This exhibition presents the estate's history within the context of Saint Croix and offers visitors a way to understand the property's changing uses and ownership. The site received formal recognition through listing on the National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1980. The designation reflects the historical value of the estate's architecture, landscape, and industrial remains. In later decades, preservation and environmental stewardship became central to the property's identity. By 2011, The Nature Conservancy owned Estate Little Princess, had incorporated it into a nature preserve, and used it as the headquarters of its Eastern Caribbean and Virgin Islands programs. The modern estate consequently serves several related purposes. It preserves tangible evidence of Saint Croix's plantation and manufacturing history, supports ecological conservation, provides an interpretive setting for photographs and historical documents, and accommodates historical tours. The combination of heritage resources and protected landscape distinguishes it from an operating plantation or commercial hospitality brand. Access is via a minor road leading northwest from the intersection of VI75, or Northside Road, and VI74, or Rattan Road, around two kilometres northwest of Christiansted.

• 2011

  The Nature Conservancy ownership and conservation use

  [1]Estate Little Princessen.wikipedia.org

  By 2011, The Nature Conservancy owned the property, which functioned as a nature preserve and headquarters for its Eastern Caribbean and Virgin Islands programs.

• 1980

  Added to the National Register of Historic Places

  [1]Estate Little Princessen.wikipedia.org

  Estate Little Princess was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1980.

• 1800

  Nineteenth-century great house constructed

  [1]Estate Little Princessen.wikipedia.org

  The estate's great house was built during the nineteenth century and later became one of the principal preserved structures on the property.

• 1738

  First documented ownership by Frederik Moth

  [1]Estate Little Princessen.wikipedia.org

  Estate Little Princess was first owned by Frederik Moth, the governor associated with the property's early colonial history.

A Saint Croix heritage and conservation site preserving plantation-era buildings, industrial ruins, historical interpretation, and natural landscape.

1. 1Estate Little Princessen.wikipedia.org