T R A V E L
A SHOPPING MECCA
St. Thomas
By Margaret Word Burnside and Aaron R. Fodiman
Photography by Noraa
The harbor at St. Thomas’ capital, Charlotte Amalie,
is only one block from its main shopping area.
ST. THOMAS IS THE SECOND LARGEST AND THE
most populated of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Christopher
Columbus and his crew found Arawak, Taíno and Carib
Indians when they landed here in 1493. However, it was not until
1672 that the Danish West India Company settled the island
to cultivate sugar cane. The Danes controlled the island for almost
250 years and did not sell it to the United States until 1917, when
they did so, along with the nearby islands of St. John and St. Croix.
As you stroll along Main Street in downtown Charlotte
Amalie, you will see old Danish warehouses made out of ship
ballast, stone and molasses on the south side and colorful Danish
Caribbean architecture on the north side of the street. Almost
every store on both sides of the street is a duty-free shopping
haven.
There are three official National Historic Landmarks on the Island.
Fort Christian, the oldest-standing structure in the archipelago,
has been in continuous use since 1680 and now houses the Virgin
Islands Museum. The second official landmark is the St. Thomas
Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in continuous use under U.S.
jurisdiction and the second oldest in the Western Hemisphere,
which remains authentic, with its original sand floor. The
Frederick Lutheran Church, which is the oldest church in
St. Thomas and the second oldest Lutheran Church in the
Western Hemisphere, is another religious site. Behind the
church is Government House, that has been the site of the
island’s government since the mid-1860s. From Government
House, you can walk up the Ninety-Nine Steps, that were built
by the Danes in the mid-1700s out of ballast, to Blackbeard’s
Castle, which is the island’s third National Historic Landmark.
The stone tower, also known as Skytsbord Tower, was built
in 1679. It is 20 feet in diameter at its base and 31.5 feet tall. It
really has nothing to do with Blackbeard or any other pirate,
except for the life-sized pirate statues that have been placed
around it.
There are a wide variety of beaches around St. Thomas
where, in addition to the usual water sports and relaxing, you
can snorkel and scuba dive.
Even so, shopping remains a highlight of St. Thomas for several
reasons. U.S. residents get a $1,600 duty-free allowance, which
is twice the normal amount. In addition to this higher duty-free
exemption, you can send gifts valued at up to $100 to friends
and family members without declaring them, using the same
shipping rates as the U.S. Postal Service. Jewelry is the most
popular purchase; and the Ammolite, that is the only gemstone
to show the full range of the color spectrum from red to violet
in a single stone, is a favorite purchase, as are table cloths and
other linens. This island is truly a shopper’s paradise. 9
148 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE MARCH/APRIL 2015