Frenchtown

In response to large-scale desertion of the plantations following the end of slavery, colonial authorities attempted to attract immigrant labor to fuel the agricultural economy, especially on St. Croix. These attempts were largely unsuccessful; the immigrants were often just as uninterested as the newly-freed slaves in laboring in sugar cane fields.

In the 1870s, a large group of laborers of French origin left St. Bartholomew and settled in St. Thomas in two distinct communities: Frenchtown, west of Charlotte Amalie, and along the north shore. “Frenchies,” as they are called today, were fishermen and artisans, known for their straw hats. Today, Frenchtown remains a quaint, tight-knit community of fishermen and their families. The fish market here is especially lively.

Located in the heart of Frenchtown along the western side of the harbor, the French Heritage Museum (Rue de St. Barthelemy, 340/774-2320, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Fri., free) is dedicated to preserving the traditions and history of St. Thomas’s French inhabitants. Housed in a yellow building next to the Josephe Aubain Ballpark in Frenchtown, this is the place to come to learn about this unique St. Thomas community.