Annaberg Plantation, an 18th-century plantation that can be essential to understanding the important role that sugar and plantation life played in the history of this island.Find Hotels in the U.S. Virgin Islands: St John, St Thomas, and St Croix, with complete unbiased reviews!
Hotels.com
Simple island Weddings | Simple, Fun, Stress-Free St Thomas weddings can be simple and affordable. Stress-free Virgin Islands weddings are our specialty. We'll do the work - you have the fun. Annaberg Plantation, The small price to pay to visit Annaberg is well worth it, especially if you have read your local brochures about the history of the sugar cane plantation. The plantation is located above one of the most desirable spots on St. Johns---directly above Leinster Bay, the most gorgeous spot on St. Johns. One should plan at least a half to a full days visit to Leinster Bay, as well as the Annaberg Plantation! Try to, if at all possible, read the history of the plantation concerning slavery and it's aftermath before taking your visit! I found that "I could put myself back in time" while visiting the hillside plantation.Definitely a "Don't Miss" opportunity! After the visit to Annaberg, you feel as if you had been there back in the 1860's! Now part of the National Park Service, the plantation offers park officials, printed materials and signs to help you understand the site.Annaberg Plantation is a must-see spot for people who want to understand St. John’s past. Now under the Virgin Islands National Park umbrella, the plantation dates to 1721. The hillsides above were once planted with the sugar cane processed in the plantation’s stone windmill and sugar factory. The remains of a slave village can be spotted near the entrance. The park often has staff on hand to provide information. No credit cards accepted.“Snorkling at Annaber Sugar Plantation”Wow what a place. You have to hike to get to waterlemon kay but it is all worth it. The reefs there are wonderful. That is where we saw the most sea turtles.The most accessible and best preserved of its type, this once-working sugar plantation (circa 1870) was the site of boiling molasses and hardworking slaves harvesting sugarcane, and which now offers visitors regular tours and living-history demonstrations.
Annaberg Sugar Plantation is Available for a wedding ceremony of up to 60 guests. Annaberg is the remains of one of the 25 sugar factories which were active on St. John. Besides sugar, molasses and rum were also produced by Annaberg. The name Annaberg means "Anna's Hill" which refers to the infant daughter of William Gottschalk, a plantation owner from St. Thomas. The ruins are maintained by the National Park and the site can be rented through KatiLady. Inquire for site fees, usually under $200. Cinnamon Bay is also located on the North Shore within the National Park. It is the longest beach on St. John offering fantastic coves and inlets that are perfect for a wedding ceremony. We encourage early morning or late afternoon weddings to avoid the crowds. Gallow's Point: This spacious waterfront suite property has three beautiful locations for a wedding ceremony. There are two wedding gazebos and an open grassy space in the landscaped grounds. All locations have beautiful views of the water. Hawksnest Beach: The first beach on the North Shore Road followed by Caneel Resort is Hawksnest Beach. This is a beautiful location within the National Park offering less crowds and more shaded spaces for bridal parties. The out cove on the far end of the beach near the rocks is a perfect site for a romantic Caribbean wedding. Parking is usually available and pending the north shore swell the beach can be perfectly suited for a ceremony with up to 50 guests.Oppenheimer Pavilion: Rich in history and a popular local beach, Gibney Beach plays host to Oppenheimer Pavilion. The pavilion is rented through the Parks and Recreation via KatiLady Events, Inc. and makes a wonderful location for rehearsal and welcome dinners. This is a great venue for small and large groups alike. Suggested for events that want a laid-back beach party setting. Trunk Bay: Deemed “Most Beautiful Beach In the World” by National Geographic Society, Trunk Bay Beach is located on the North Shore. Beautiful waters and wonderful white sand keeps Trunk Bay the most popular beach on St. John. Trunk Bay is part of the National Park and is the only beach on St. John that has an admission fee. Fees are collected from 8am to 4pm, which makes us suggest a wedding later in the day. The beach is a popular stop on tour itineraries and can get very busy on days when there are several cruise ships in port on St. Thomas or anchored off of St. John.Massachusetts tourism Read about Massachusetts tourism. Find MA hotels, beaches, outdoor adventure, historic sites and other tourist attractions. Annaberg Plantation, as of 1780, was one of 25 active sugar producing factories on St. John. Other products produced at Annaberg were molasses and rum. Slave labor was used to clear densely forested hillsides and to terrace the slopes around Annaberg to make farming possible. Slave labor was also used to plant, harvest and process the sugarcane. When slavery was abolished, the plantations were divided. The 518 acres that were once Annaberg Plantation were divided into smaller farms. Today the plantation ruins are protected by the Virgin Islands National Park and are open to the public. Trees have reclaimed the hillsides around Annaberg,but a trail leads through factory ruins, slave quarters, windmill and other remains, Placards and signs along the trails describe how sugar was produced and discuss plantation life and the history behind sugar plantations on St. John and in particular Annaberg. The windmill at Annaberg, a focal point of the site, was built between 1810 and 1830, and was one of the largest in the islands. Thirty four feet in diameter at the base and twenty feet at the top, the mill stands thirty eight feet high. When there was no wind to work the windmill, a horse mill would be used. The horses or mules were plodded in a circular motion; this turned the upright rollers in the center of the platform. Slaves passed cane stalk through the rollers and a box at the bottom caught the juice. The juice ran by gravity through gutters to the factory for processing. Three to five hundred gallons of juice could be produced in an hour. The cane juice flowed first into a large copper kettle, where a fire was lit beneath. The excess water evaporated and workers would ladle the juice from one kettle to the next, down a line of five kettles. The juice eventually became concentrated through various levels of heating and evaporation. The concentrated juice was then placed in a box to crystallize. The crystallized brown sugar was then put in barrels that held up to 1600 pounds of sugar. Early removal from the last heated kettle prevented crystals from forming, producing molasses, that was used to make rum.Evidence of about 16 slave cabins was found in the Annaberg area. The construction of the cabins consisted of branches woven together with lime and a mud mixture. The roofs were likely made of palm leaves. The cabins deteriorated over time and are not fully standing; placards do indicate where the cabins were located and describe them. Interpretative programs are available at Annaberg. Witness bread-baking on a coal pot, basket weaving and subsistence gardening demonstrations. Activities begin at 10:00 am and end at 2:00 pm on: Tuesdays and Wednesdays for basket weaving, Wednesdays thru Fridays for bread baking and Tuesdays thru Fridays for gardening.
Annaberg Cultural History Demonstration: Visit Annaberg sugar plantation ruins and learn about sugar production, the slave trade during the period of European economic expansion in the West Indies and what former slaves did to survive after emancipation. Witness bread-baking on a coal pot, basket weaving and subsistence gardening demonstrations. Activities begin at 10:00 am and end at 2:00 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for basket weaving, Wednesdays thru Fridays for bread baking and Tuesdays thru Fridays for gardening.
Who Wants to Plan the Most Stunning, Romantic and Memorable Beach Wedding Imaginable? Click here How would you like to earn US$2000-6000 per month? Live on a luxury cruise ship, pay no living expenses, enjoy tax free income! Click Here! Please share your favorite beach photo, or beach blog with us!Almost everyone has been to the beach, see and share photos, and blogs from beaches in the Virgin Islands, and around the world! annaberg plantation/ return to homepage |
