A Postcolonial Path Sugar Mills from Taboo to Attraction St. Croix, USVI
Amal Abdi Ashur Master’s Thesis 2017 Project Report
Student: Amal Abdi Ashur Thesis supervisor: Mogens A. Morgen Pages: 82 Appendix: 1: Value Assessment 2: Interviews 3: Analysis & Program 4: The Silent History
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Table of contents
Introduction
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St. Croix
9
From one ownership to another
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Demography
14
Climate
16
Geology
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Architecture
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the silent history
31
Slavery
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Slave trade
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Sugar plantation
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The sugar mill
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The postcolonial path
47
Intention
48
Postcolonial Path
50
Estate Castle Coakley
58
Value Assessment
64
Program
68
Site
70
Transformation
72
Restoration
76
Bibliography
78
Curriculum vitae
80
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Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery None but ourselves can free our minds
Won’t you help to sing These songs of freedom? ‘Cause all I ever had Redemption songs
Bob Marley Redemption Song, 1980
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Danish election poster 1916 http://www.kb.dk/da/nb/tema/dvi/index.html
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Introduction
Thematics such as identity, slavery and apology has flared up in connection to the centennial of the selling of the Virgin Islands. 100 years ago, 31st of March 1917, Denmark sold the Islands to United States of America (USA) and there has been a great awareness towards the history and the lost ties between Denmark and US Virgin Islands. This is an exploration of a history that has left iconic ruinous stone mills that, for better or worse, has become the symbol of St. Croix, USVI. Is it possible to make a new and active use of the former sugar mills with the brutal history in mind? This Master’s Thesis is a narrative of a silent history of slavery and heavy sugar production on the plantations through an active use of the symbolic sugar mills. A postcolonial path The project is Mar 2017). The and the project understanding of
based on a one-month study trip (Febprocess has been highly investigating came to its form concurrently with the the problems the Virgin Islands face.
A postcolonial path guides you through the mountainous rainforest in west to the dry desert in east. Together with the silent history of slavery, the two ruinous sugar mills of the former sugar plantation Castle Coakley are the focus point. They are restored and transformed into an energy-producing windmill and a shelter in order to reclaim the history. References References are made to the four appendices attached to this project report. They are a study of the history, the chosen site and its value assessment as well as the program of the mills. During the study trip several interviews has been conducted to illuminate the atmosphere towards the symbolic sugar mills. Is it at all possible to make a new use of them?
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Estate Castle Coakley
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Salt River Bay
Frederiksted
Sandy Point
0 km
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1 km
2 km
St. Croix From one ownership to another Demography Climate Geology Architecture
Christiansted Point Udall
2 km
3 km
4 km
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Location:
Caribbean Sea
Coordinates:
17°44’23’’N 64°44’20’’W
Archipelago:
Virgin Islands,
Area:
214,7 km2
Length:
35 km
Width:
11 km
Demonym:
Crucian
Population:
50.601 (2010)
Ca. 25 % are descendants of enslaved Africans
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Puerto Rico
St. Thomas
St. John
Us Virgin Island
St. Croix
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British Virgin Island
From one ownership to another Historic Context
Christopher Columbus was the first European to visit St. Croix on November 1493, where he entered Salt River Bay. During the following century, St. Croix was under the control of various European powers until it came under the possession of the France Kingdom in 1650. In 1733 King Louis XIV ordered the French settlers to abandon St. Croix to strengthen the defense of Haiti. The Danish West India-Guinea Company (DWI&G) bought St. Croix along with the Virgin Islands St. Thomas and St. John in [årstal] for 164.000 Danish Rigsdaler. At that time, there were still traces of French settlements and plantations and they would soon form the towns of Frederiksted and Christiansted. Frederiksted was the site of an older French settlement while Christiansted was the site of an old plantation Grande Princess. Due to the natural harbor at Christiansted, the town had great potential for DWI&G Company as the long reef is almost surrounded the bay. In the following years, Christiansted outgrew Frederiksted and became the island’s “capital”. The brick Fort Christiansværn was built on top of an old French dirt ramparts in 1734 - 1749. With the support from two small bastions on Protestant Cay and cannons pointing directly at the opening of the reef the Danes had complete control of the harbor (Eilstrup, Boesgaard and Eilstrup, 1974).
Work at the harbor in Christiansted, St. Croix. http://www.kb.dk/da/nb/tema/dvi/index.html
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Danish interest in the island of St. Croix started and ended with sugar and cotton production. In 1754, there were 338 plantations of which 63 had wind-driven sugar mills. In 1917 during the final years of World War One United States of America (USA) had a growing concern that the Prussian Empire would gain a foothold in the Caribbean. In that connection, USA bought the Danish West Indies from the Danish government. The island was sole purchase for its strategic location and not for the agricultural values as many believes. Today the US Virgin Islands are part of the American territory. The main industry in St. Croix is tourism and the Old Danish buildings in Christiansted are still preserved. The island still produces rum in some degree although the molasses is imported. With the selling of the islands Denmark escaped several obligations and responsibilities. The island was left behind and is still to this day struggling with problems that originate from the slavery and sale. Today the US Virgin Island face problems with migration of skilled human resources and high unemployment rates alongside social and poverty related problems.
Entrance to the harbor in Christiansted, St. Croix. Protestant Cay in the background with Dannebrog waving. http://www.kb.dk/da/nb/tema/dvi/index.html
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Demography (2010) Latest demographic figures
Race Total Population: 106,405
100%
Black or African American:
76%
80,908
White: 16,646
15.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone:
0.4%
434
Asian alone: 1,457
1.4%
Some Other Race alone:
4,757
4.5%
Two or More Races:
2,203
2%
Place of Birth Native Born U.S. Citizen:
270,838
Born in USVI: 49,719 Born in other U.S. Island Area or Puerto Rico:
3,567
Born in the United States:
16,851
Born abroad of U.S. parent(s):
701
Foreign Born: 35,567 Antigua and Barbuda:
3,933
British Virgin Islands:
2,030
Dominica: 5,305 Dominican Republic: 4,390 St. Kitts and Nevis:
5,910
Other Caribbean island:
10,734
Born in another foreign country or born at sea:
3,265
Educational Attainment (for persons 25 years and older)
Total 70,813 Male: 33,117 Less than 9th grade
5,926
9th grade to 12th grade, no diploma
5,632
High school graduate, GED, or alternative
10,503
Some college or associate's degree
5,606
Bachelor's degree 3,420 Graduate or professional degree
2,030
Female: 37,696 Less than 9th grade
5,617
9th grade to 12th grade, no diploma
4,847
High school graduate, GED, or alternative
11,095
Some college or associate's degree
8,008
Bachelor's degree 4,930 Graduate or professional degree (Vimovingcenter.com, 2017)
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3,199
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Climate
An understanding of the climate on St. Croix is necessary to examine the high stability of the existing architectural heritage. This understanding will further help construct climate resilient architecture. Experience On the study trip in February the weather was very pleasant with little amount of rain. Over the year, the mean daily temperatures vary between 20 °C – 30 °C with a mild breeze. Hurricane season Hurricane season is officially from June 1 through November 30 each year, with September usually being the most active month. Each year on St. Croix there is an average of 12 tropical storms, 6 of which become hurricanes. With extremely high winds and heavy rains, these storms often cause flooding, property damage, and sometimes even death. (GoToStCroix.com, 2017) Landscape The northern part of the island is mountainous which is seen on the map. The contour lines indicate where the mountains are and how the southern part is more plain which also has been cultivated as the prime sugar land on St. Croix (Wikipedia, 2017). wind rose The wind rose on the map of St. Croix graphically displays the wind sped in hours per year and the direction at a given location. The wind rose has been an important tool historically to determine where to place the sugar mills and is also in function today to determine where to place the blades in the restoration of the sugar mills.
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N N 3000
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SS km/h/h >>55km
> 12 > 12 kmkm /h /h
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St. Croix map with wind rose
125 mm
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Cold nights
Geology
The Virgin Island and especially St. Croix has been attractive as a colony due to the amount of fertile land. The fertile land and the favorable conditions on St. Croix gave opportunities to create large number of plantations. The major quantities of sugar send to Denmark came from St. Croix. Three climatic areas St. Croix is divided in three climatic areas; the northwestern area dominated by rainforest and mountains, the central area with open flat, sandy land and the eastern area characterized by dry desert and with substantial number of cactuses. Formations The hilly areas of St. Croix were formed first and are from the cretaceous period about 145-65 million years ago. The areas consist of cretaceous (Km), cretaceous diorite (Kd) and cretaceous gabbro (Kg). It is volcanic stones formed when the magma is cooled by contact with water and soil. When the magma is cooled, the mass solidifies and if the magma solidifies quickly, it becomes fine-grained basalt, if it solidifies slowly turns into coarse-grained gabbro (Wikipedia, 2017). The chemical formation of diorite is intermediate, between gabbro and granite (Wikipedia, 2017). The stones are extremely hard construction stones that locally have been called “Blue Bitch�. The material is mainly seen driving towards Point Udall or out into the rainforest. The flatter areas of S t. Croix are of younger rock from the Miocene epoch till the quaternary period, which is the geological period we are in today (the last 23 million years). These formations are Miocene kingshall limestone (Tmb & Tlr), Pliocene blessing formations (Tbf) and quaternary reef (Qr & Qab) (Ashur, 2017). These are all local materials used in construction. Limestone and the coral reef have formed the basis of the materiality seen on the island together with the Danish brick. The geology has formed St. Croix as we know it today. The dynamic landscape with the diverse climate has formed an island suitable for wind-driven sugar mills. To harvest the energy of the wind the wind-driven mills are either placed on a hilltop in the mountains or in the flatter central area. There are almost no sugar mills or plantation in the eastern end of the Island? as the land is dry.
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145-65 mill Cretaceous
23-5,3 mill Miocene
2,6 mill Quaternary
Km, Kd, Kg
Tbf, Tmb, Tlr
Qab, Qr
Geological timeline
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Qab
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Geological map of St. Croix
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Architecture
A great part of the existing buildings downtown Christiansted was constructed during the Danish colonial time, and has later undergone renovation and transformation to different extents. During this period, the founding of the Academy of Fine Arts in Denmark took place, and classicism was highly represented in Danish architecture. Classicism endeavors to express formality, symmetry and strict lines, and it is often seen in official buildings. The ideals and thoughts of classicistic architecture was brought to St. Croix with the Danish architects, and used for building and planning the city of Christiansted. The buildings of lower King Street and Company Street are today good examples of the Danish classicistic influence. The Government House in King Street shows an official architecture, detailed with cornices in three stories and presents a formal entrance stair. Some of the other buildings in this area have a subtler appearance with only one or two stories and less detailing, still with classicistic arches and arcades. The facades are strictly composed with symmetric openings. Where the colors used in Danish classicism would be white or light warm tones, the colors used in Christiansted today are more bold and adventurous in combination with the classicistic elements.
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King Street, Christiansted
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Wood The available local building material was Mahogany, as the colonists needed land to cultivation. The rainforest and bush had to be cleared and the ground had to be prepared for farming. Done with slave labor. Mahogany is categorized as a “hardwood” which is a description given to hard, slow growing wood that are resistant to the tropical humid weather. Mahogany is both resistant to humid weather and termites, which is a challenge for wood structures on the islands. It will not twist and fling when it dries, as Mahogany is dimensionally stable. Due to the unique characteristics, it was used for structure of houses, lintels on doors and windows, roof construction and for wooden shutters. As the popularity of mahogany increased in Europe and in the rest of the world, it became very expensive to use mahogany. Instead it was shipped to Europe and pitch pine from North America was imported. Pitch pine is a relatively hard type of wood, and like mahogany resistant to termites when dry. The wooden shutters that are a characteristic architectural element is often painted pitch pine. Local stone Another local building material was limestone formed by corals – so called coral stone. The coral stone was highly used as building material since it was easily accessible. The stone was soft and could be cut in big blocks. This material can resist the tropical climate better and longer than bricks, but was often either lime washed or plastered if it was used for facades. Surface treatment The coral stone was also used due to its ability to absorb humid within the porous and open structure. To make lime mortar used in construction corals, conch and shells were burnt and mixed with sand and water.] By thinning the mortar, it can be used as whitewash. By adding ironsulfate to the whitewash, it will change to the “government house yellow” as seen on the next page (p.25) and Fort Christiansvaern in Christiansted. By adding iron oxide, the mortar will become red as seen on Fort Frederik in Frederiksted. The paint used on wood, as seen on shutters of windows and doors, is produced by linseed and is called linseed oil paint. By mixing linseed oil with colorant, it is possible to create different colors. The oil can protect the wood from decomposition by light. This painting hardens by the impact of sunlight.
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King Street, Christiansted
The Government House, Christiansted
Paint peeling off, Estate Castle Coakley
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Iron Iron was used to mount and hinge shutters, doors and gates. It was wrought iron craftsmanship of a very high quality and can stand for centuries and be re-used from building to building. The wrought iron on Fort Christiansvaern is the original iron from 1749 (Vegas, 2016). Bricks Many of the existing buildings and ruins on St. Croix consist of bricks. Bricks were a highly-used building material, which the empty ships from Denmark brought as ballast. The ships had around 10.000 bricks as ballast pr. crossing. “Flensborg� brick measuring 4 x 10,8 x 22,8cm were transported from Denmark. The small Flensborg brick was in particular used for corners and edges on windows and doors as it had the perfect size for decorative elements and it is easy to adjust. Later the Danish ships transported regular Danish brick measuring 5.5 x 10,8 x 22,8. In many buildings the masonry was a mix of both regular Danish brick and Flensborg brick. The buildings were often whitewashed, lime washed or plastered to protect the brickwork, as the tropical climate is very harsh on the stones. However, many buildings consist of a mix of many building materials such as brick, coral stone and wood (Lunn, 2012).
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Diverse walls, St. Croix
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Climatic conditions
Traditional adaption On St. Croix, there has been a long tradition to build weather and climate resilient buildings. The windy and warm weather require the buildings to facilitate cooling, airflow and stability. Foundations The foundation of the buildings was originally made of coral stones, due to the inherent properties of the coral stones. The stone has an ability to absorb humidity and to vaporize water. This method to cool the building was widely used. The arcades A characteristic architectural element in the cities of St. Croix is the arcades facing the orthogonal streets. The arcade besides being a landmark, are also climatically suitable for both good and bad weather. In the powerful sun, they provide shadow and assist in the cooling of the buildings, as the sun does not affect the inner walls directly. This makes the arcade an integrated solar screening. On rainy days the arcades provide shelter, as they also are used as a sidewalk. Hurricanes As a result of the long hurricane seasons it is necessary for buildings to withstand wind and water. Originally houses were built with aerodynamic shaped roofs to transport the wind away namely the hip roof. The wooden structure of hip roofs is light and flexible and the slender rafter and battens of pitch pine with shingles became very common. This type of roof is more resistant to hurricanes compared with the tile-covered roofs. The rooms inside were cool, as the heat would rise under the ceiling.
Wind rips off the Wind roofrips off the roof
Hip roof
Hip roof
Hip roof with overhang Hip roof with overhang Wind
Wind
Wind
Aerodynamic built houses transport wind away
Wind
Buildings with overhang can create a great opportunity for the wind to rip off the roof
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Modern convenience Numerous buildings existing today are built with coral stone, Danish bricks and wood with air-condition to cool the rooms inside. Several buildings have been modernized with cement and plastic painting. These modernizations traps and accumulates humidity inside the walls, which results in wall decomposition. The decomposition is furthermore increased by the use of air-condition, which makes condensation of humidity on the inside of the wall to create mold. The use of air-conditions and destructive building materials have led to devastation of many buildings. This is a consequence of the “modern convenience� that is demanded by many (Lunn, 2012). The hurricane Hugo in 1989 revealed how modern buildings were built without any consideration of the local climate. Many buildings were for instance built with overhangs, which in the hurricane seasons poses an imminent danger of detaching off the roof and causing great damage (Vegas, 2016).
Company Street 2016, Christiansted The arcaded sidewalk
Lutheran Church 1753, Christiansted Hip roof seen from inside
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Hospital Street No. 21, Christiansted Air-condition installed on historic building
Freedom
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the silent history Slavery Slave trade Sugar plantation The sugar mill
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Slavery
References are made to appendix # 4: The Silent History. This illuminates the complicated and tabooed history. It is a discussion and a reflection of some sensitive issues that I have come across during this Master’s Thesis. For almost 200 years Denmark was a great colonial power with successful sugar production. To a great extent, the success of St. Croix and Virgin Island is largely due to the slave trade and slave labor. When the Danish colonists arrived at St. Croix, they needed empty fields for plantations. St. Croix was covered by rainforest and bush. Frederik Moth, the first Danish governor described the situation in one of his many written journals (translated from Danish): Large parts of the country are overgrown by armored bush, thorns and other, so that a dog hardly can pass there. (Mentze, 1981, p.101) Moth estimated that there on St. Croix were enough land to cultivate a thousand sugar plantations of 150 acres (60,7 ha) and equal amount of cottons plantations (Mentze, 1981). The requirement for the service, work and operation of the sugar and cotton plantations were male and female slaves. Denmark needed slaves. Free labor. They are the silent history.
Gendarmes examine the terrain http://www.kb.dk/da/nb/tema/dvi/index.html
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Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock Rasta There was a Buffalo Soldier In the heart of America Stolen from Africa, brought to America Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival Driven from the mainland To the heart of the Caribbean
Bob Marley Buffalo Soldier, 1980
Prisoners on deck http://www.kb.dk/da/nb/tema/dvi/index.html
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Slaves plowing http://www.kb.dk/da/nb/tema/dvi/index.html
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Slave trade
Danish ships brought approximately 111.000 enslaved Africans to the Caribbean. Denmark was the seventh largest slave-trading nation and together with the other nations 12,5 million enslaved Africans were traded for textiles, rum and weapons. From the Caribbean sugar, rum and cotton were send to Europe (Dwis.dk, 2017). Africans were brought to St. Croix in ships crammed with enslave people. On the brutal journey, many died or got heavily injured. The ones who survived would be “fixed� and made ready for auction. They would be smeared in palm oil and sold for the highest bid. When a plantation owner had bought a slave, he gave him a new name and brand him with his new registration letters on the chest. That applied to every slave (Mentze, 1981).
By utilizing the space on the ships to the extreme you could take 452 slaves in layers. http://www.dwis.dk/digitale-udstillinger/sofart-og-handel/ slavetransporter
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The slave trade
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Sugar plantation
The sugar plantation was more than just a working place. For the slaves, the master and his family as well as staff the plantation were their home. A typical plantation consisted of a great house were the master lived with his family, a factory as the sugar had to be processed immediately, a sugar and or animal mill, a hospital, stables and a slave village besides the many sugar cane fields. The impact The plantation was the backbone of the Danish colonial era. They have left a big impact on St. Croix. The old plantation names are today the names of the different areas of island. You can live in “Sion Farm�, Castle Coakley, Annaberg, Bulows Minde, et cetera (Lunn, 2016).
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An illustration of a typical plantation. Hemmersfryd plantation. (Lunn, 2016), p.92
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The distribution of plantations on St. Croix 1767 http://www.kb.dk/da/nb/tema/dvi/index.html
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The sugar mill
The sugar mill is the most evident element left from the Danish colonial era. They were fundamental and significant for the production of sugar. It was the first part build on the plantation in order to grind the sugar canes immediately. Usually an animal mill was constructed first and then a windmill according to the ambition of the plantation. The sugar mills’ fate The sugar mills are landmarks all over the island as they were built on hilltops, open land near the sea or in the mountains. Today they are privately owned and modernized or simply left for abandonment. They stand as massive ruinous cones.
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Principle drawing of a typical sugar mill Peter Lotharius Oxholm, 1797 http://www.kb.dk/da/nb/tema/dvi/index.html
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Drawing of Castle Coakley, 1833 F. Von Scholten http://www.kb.dk/da/nb/tema/dvi/index.html
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1. piece together the history 2. make peace with it Zen Circle
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The postcolonial path Intention Postcolonial Path Estate Castle Coakley Value Assessment Program Site Transformation Restoration
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The Danish colonial era is still highly present on the Virgin Islands. It is traceable, readable and unavoidable. All
reflected
in
the
architectural
heritage
that
unites Denmark and the Virgin Islands. With so visible representation (sugar mills, architecture and street names) the colonial times are a constant reminder of slavery, Denmark and a source for a confused identity. This Master’s Thesis will help to unravel our common history, based on the transformation and restoration of a former sugar plantation on St. Croix.
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Estate Castle Coakley
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Postcolonial Path
The postcolonial path is a self-guided tour and traverses the entire island of St. Croix. 40 historic sugar mills are connected and guides you through the mountainous and luxuriant rainforest in west to the dry desert in east. The path is an extension of the former existing Heritage trail and utilizes the same path while focusing on the abandoned ruinous sugar mills. The Heritage Trail connected historic sites, cultural attractions, and natural areas across St. Croix but are no longer maintained due to budget cuts (Go To St. Croix., 2017). The selection of the 40 sugar mills are based on a mapping of William Cleveland in 1989 after the hurricane Hugo and on the condition of the sugar mills. All the 40 selected sugar mills are in good or excellent condition. Program The postcolonial path is a public use of the existing sugar mills. The path is suitable for biking, hiking and driving with the goal of attracting both tourists and locals. Each sugar mill is destination of a different program. The program of the sugar mill is based on a thorough investigation and understanding of the site, the sugar mill and the specific history connected to the site. The program can include accommodation, cooking facilities, pop-up art galleries, relaxing possibilities and solar power generator areas. Each mill and the area around it will have one program.
Transformation & Restoration The sugar mills are to be transformed and restored according to program of the mill. To get a thorough understanding of the history that the sugar mills represent, some of the mills are reconstructed, some restored, transformed or just maintained in their ruinous state.
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Estate Diamond Keturah Abandoned ruinous sugar mill
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Mapping of sugar mills on the path
The mapping has been essential part in choosing a site with potential and strong readable narrative. To conduct the mapping systematically the “SAK” method from Aarhus School of Architecture has been used. It is a novel method developed for the project “Umistelige Kulturmiljøer i Danmarks Yderområder” (Inalienable Cultural Environments in the remote areas of Denmark). The mapped sites are screened based on readable parameters, which rules out romanticized selections. SAK Screening af kulturmiljøer (screening of cultural environments, SAK) is a method to evaluate cultural heritage from readable parameters like architectural values, tourist potentials and dissemination of culture. The method is personal and intuitive as one or more people with different positions and views on esthetics as well as different professional competencies, screen the environments. The aim is to clarify the values, qualities and potentials of the cultural environment and thereby creating new opportunities and initiatives to preserve through development. The main goal of the cultural environments is not only a preservation but also to create value for people today, in particular for Danes and Cruzan’s so we once again understand our shared history. If the narrative of the cultural environment is activated and actualized, the physical traces can tell site-specific and often powerful stories that potentially can strengthen local business and attract tourists and new arrivals (Arkitektskolen Aarhus, 2017). The mapped sites were at first screened based on pictorial material by William Cleveland while the second screening was based on the SAK method. The site with the highest value and potential was chosen as the site of this Master’s thesis.
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Estate Northside Abandoned ruinous sugar mill
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Estate Northside
Estate Mt. Washington
Estate Castle Coakley
Estate Whim
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Comanche Mill
Estate Diamond Keturah Estate Cane Garden
Potential sites mapped on St. Croix
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Estate Castle Coakley
Description Castle Coakley is an old Danish plantation dating back to the mid 18th century. The plantation has always been one of the largest in St. Croix, that immediately became successful. The complex consists of the former great house, overseer’s house, the old slave entrance and the ruins of two sugar mills with underground tunnels. The houses of the old slave village are still visible but many houses have been modernized, altered or demolished. Narrative The narrative of the old plantation is very strong and immediate. The cultural environment is clearly defined by the retaining wall with the slave entrance that encloses the sugar mills together with the almost forest like boundary around the great house. The sloping landscape creates an excitement walking or driving up to the sugar mills. The slave village is not as clear in its narrative as the rest of the cultural environment due to modernizations. Conservation values The conservation values of Castle Coakley are in its unified cultural environment. The structure of the former plantation is still very clear. The sugar mills, their placement on the hilltop and the unifying retaining walls together with the monumental underground tunnels are of high significance. Condition The Great House is in excellent condition and is now under big renovation after it has been infested with termites. The sugar mills are in good condition together with the retaining walls and the underground tunnels. The Slave village has lost most of its integrity. The structures are to some degree still evident with few of the slave houses in original shape. Recommendation I strongly recommend the preservation of the cultural environment in its entirety. The slave village is almost gone, though very important for the understanding of the colonial history. The area should be under strong regulations so that the slave village does not disappear and the history of slavery erased at Castle Coakley. Some of the houses should be reconstructed or restored.
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Kulturhistorisk
Turisme
BosĂŚtning
Arkitektonisk
Erhverv
Integritet
Kultur/oplevelse
VĂŚrdisĂŚtning
Potentialevurdering
Value assessment
Screening of potentials
Castle Coakley Slave entrance
The value assessment is based on a valuation from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) of three valuables. The potential indicates the degree of unfulfilled potential from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) divided into four categories in which the development potential of the cultural environment lies within. (Arkitektskolen Aarhus, 2017)
Castle Coakley The retaining wall ended almost as a viaduct
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Atmospheric description of Castle Coakley
I first noticed Castle Coakley from a taxi driving on Centerline Road and decided immediately that I needed to go up there. Few days later we rented a car and went on an adventure trying to locate the two mills. Walking up towards the sugar mills we entered ruinous stairs leading us up the sloping hill. Getting closer and closer the sight kept getting more and more overwhelming and impressive. The remains of the former plantation are very visible and the main element are the two sugar mills standing as massive intact landmarks with underground tunnels. Walking around the complex I felt as a discoverer trying to piece every bit of the history together. I just wanted to run around and find the little pieces of history. I felt a sense of both curiosity and fright. The complex is filled with so much history, like a balloon that is going to burst and just reveal every bit of its experience. The ruins witnessed slavery, wealth and brutality. On one hand, I wanted to sit peacefully against the soft and cool limestone and sense the history of the walls. On the other hand, I saw the machinery inside the mill that reminded me of the history of the slaves.
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The ruinous remains are beautifully placed on the hill and surrounded by vegetation. It was peaceful and quiet with a feeling of enclose and calmness. In contrast the cold and dark oil refinery in the horizon disturbs the calmness. Every time you look from the small details in the sugar mills and out at the horizon the reality hits you once again about the brutality that has taken place at Castle Coakley. The landscape kept reminding me about why sugar mills were needed. The atmosphere inside the sugar mills was calm and quiet. With the different openings and specially the tall and narrow entrance creates an ecclesial atmosphere. I forgot about the world outside and was just looking at the stonework. It was like seeing a movie screened directly on the stones about the workflow at the plantation. It was not brutal, just quiet and calm. It felt so peaceful and cool, an escape from the sun and the world. The thoughts in my mind was cleared and I forgot about time and place. Just reflected. Reflected upon the work of the slaves. The remains. The machinery. The oil refinery. The world we live in today. Life. This is a place of calmness, enclosure and peacefulness. Even with the aftermath of the slavery.
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1758
1758
123 slaves
123 slaves
Sugar shipped from St. Croix in ton 13 260
11 979 11 592
11
11 277 10 570
10 485 10 173
13 260 9614 9327
9303 11 979 11 592
8365
8277
8325
11 277
8077 7758
7323
10 570
10 485
7185
10 173
6850 6403
9614 9327
11 7956
9303 5269
8365
8277
8325
8077 7758
7323
7956
7185 6850 6403
3005
5269
1777
1778
1779
1780
1781
1782
1783
1784
1785
1786
1787
1788
1789
3005
1790
1791
1792
1793
1794
1795
1796
1797
1798
1799
1790
1791
1792
1793
1794
1795
1796
1797
1798
1799
http://samlinger.natmus.dk/search?q=vestindien
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1777
1778
1779
1780
1781
1782
1783
1784
1785
1786
1787
1788
1789
1816
1835
1836
1837
1838
1839
1840
1847
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
230 salves 220
198 slaves
1816
1835
1836
1837
1838
152 acres of canefield
1839
1840
1847
156
230 salves 220
134
129
126
119
198 slaves
106
100
96 86
80
152 acres of canefield
165 acres of canefield
147
165 acres of canefield 73
84
156
147 134
129
126
119 106
100
96 86
80
84 73
Sugar shipped from Castle Coakley in ton
16 990
15 656 14 811 13 965 16 990
13 325
13 248 15 656
14 811
11 483
13 965 13 325
8077
8077
1797
1797
13 248
11 483 7956
7956
1938
1798
1799
1800
1802
1803
1804
1805
1806
1807
1938
1798
1799
1800
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1802
1803
1804
1805
1806
1807
Value Assessment
The value assessment is attached as appendix # 1. Illustrated are the significant values on Castle Coakley. For the full version reference is made to the appendix: Value Assessment of Castle Coakley. Following is excerpts. Architectural strategy The architectural strategy used for the Postcolonial Path applies to all sugar mills throughout the route. The sugar mills on the Postcolonial Path are to be transformed and restored according to the state, placement and program of the mill. To get a thorough understanding of the history the sugar mills represent, some of the mills should be restored. The show of time is a show of history and in the transformation of the sugar mills this is an important architectural element. The transformation must be true to what the sugar mills represent but according to the program it is possible to remove or add material. It must be gentle and should not compromise the original substance or eliminate the history of the mills. The meeting between the new additions and old sugar mills must be evident. The sugar mills vary in their ruinous state and in this project the most significant element should be the restoration of the visual integrity and original substance. The primary architectural effect in the restoration of the destroyed parts should be while respecting original substance of the structures. The sugar mills are seen as a study of materiality and craftsmanship which makes the originality important. In this connection, the restoration takes its departure from thorough study of each sugar mill regarding architectural craftsmanship, materiality and the history behind it.
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Environmental Value
Culture-Historical Value
Architectural Value
Great House
Production area
Slave village
Strategically situated on hilltop
Hierarchy. Primary and secondary prioritization
Massive cones
Landmark on St. Croix
Small and narrow entrance for slaves
Narrow opening
Enclosed and defined area
Combination of local and danish materiality
Local typology
Underground tunnels
Craftsmanship
Conservation Values
Landscape
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Castle Coakley I’m entering the underground tunnel of the norht mill called “the batcave”
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Castle Coakley After passing the bats. The chute to the waste product of the sugar canes
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Program
Illustrated are the program, principles and intentions of the site. These are elaborated in appendix # 3. The northern sugar mill is transformed into a shelter and the southern mill is restored into a windmill.
Castle Coakley The chute to the waste product of the sugar canes
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Users
The backpackers
The tourist
The local
Program
Bring & bring with you Minimal living
Understanding of history. Renewable energy
Cooling in the hot sun. Opening og the exixsting underground cistern
Intentions
Food over bunfire
Benefit from nature
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Commune with nature
Site
Measurements The site plan is drawn after measurements from the surveyor Gary Bourdon in 2014. The two sugar mills are drawn after my measurements between 24.02 – 01.03 2017. The dashed line marks the cultural environment. Design The owner of Castle Coakley, Scott Whaley is working on a renovation of the Great House. The overseer’s is designed into toilet and shower facilities. One of the two underground water cisterns are opened and utilized as an outdoor pool to give a break from the burning sun. The houses at the former slave village are now privately owned and need regulations, as they are significant historic buildings. They should be restored, preserved and maintained to preserve the history of Castle Coakley. The northern sugar mill is transformed into a shelter and the southern mill is restored into a windmill. The machinery inside the windmill is going to produce renewable energy.
Castle Coakley North mill
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Working area
Great House
Cistern Sugar mills
Overseer’s House
Slave village
Castle Coakley Site plan 1:2000
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Transformation
The northern sugar mill is transformed into a shelter. This gives an opportunity to have a longer break on the Postcolonial Path and to explore Castle Coakley. The site is beautiful at many times of the day, and the accommodation brings the tempo down to reflect, explore and understand the colonial era. At night, the self-supporting glass gives a view to starry sky and the door shutters emphasize the intimate ecclesial atmosphere. The process of designing the sugar mill, is dynamic and ongoing.
Castle Coakley South facade 1:100
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Castle Coakley West facade 1:100
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Castle Coakley Section 1:100
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Castle Coakley Plan 1:200
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Restoration
The southern mill is restored into a windmill. With this restoration, it is the only place on St. Croix with a functional windmill. It will be the only sugar mill that will be complete, so one gets an understanding of the historic sugar mills both visual and functional. The machinery inside the windmill is going to produce renewable energy. Due to technical advancements, it is possible to create a complete reconstruction of the historic machinery inside the sugar mill as the electricity producing elements are placed in the cap of the sugar mill. The production of renewable energy is very important on this site as the oil refinery is a dominant feature in the landscape. This is a statement and a comment on the reactivation of the oil refinery. The process of designing the sugar mill, is dynamic and ongoing.
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Castle Coakley East facade 1:100
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Bibliography
All pictures and illustration that are not referenced are either taken or drawn by me.
Ashur, H. (2017). St. Croix Geology. Vimovingcenter.com. (2017). Demographics for the Virgin Islands - USVI Moving Center. [online] Available at: http://www.vimovingcenter.com/statistics/ [Accessed 10 May 2017]. Wikipedia. (2017). Diorite. [online] Available at: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diorite) [Accessed 4 May 2017]. Eilstrup, P., Boesgaard, N. and Eilstrup, P. (1974). Fjernt fra Danmark. 1st ed. København: Lademann. Wikipedia. (2017). Gabbro. [online] Available at: (https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabbro) [Accessed 4 May 2017]. Lunn, U. (2012). Byggeskik. [online] Den Vestindiske Arv. Available at: http://den-vestindiske-arv.dk/om-projektet-og-hjemmesiden/byggeskik/ [Accessed 16 Apr. 2016]. Lunn, U. (2016). Stedet fortæller om Dansk Vestindien. 1st ed. [København]: Gads Forlag. Mentze, E. (1981). Dansk Vestindien. 1st ed. [København]: Selskabet Bogvennerne. | GoToStCroix.com. (2017). Prepare for Hurricane Season Blog, St. Croix, USVI. [online] Available at: http://www.gotostcroix.com/climate-weather/prepare-hurricane-season/ [Accessed 16 May 2017]. Wikipedia. (2017). Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Croix,_U.S._Virgin_Islands) [Accessed 14 Apr. 2017]. Arkitektskolen Aarhus. (2017). SAK-metoden - Arkitektskolen Aarhus. [online] Available at: http://aarch.dk/info/research/kulturmiljoer/om-sak/ [Accessed 1 Jun. 2017]. Dwis.dk. (2017). Slavetransporter. [online] Available at: http://www.dwis.dk/digitale-udstillinger/sofart-og-handel/slavetransporter [Accessed 31 May 2017]. Go To St. Croix. (2017). St Croix Heritage Trail Guide. [online] Available at: (http://www.gotostcroix.com/st-croix-blog/st-croix-heritage-trail-guide/) [Accessed 27 Feb. 2017]. Vegas, B. (2016). City Walk.
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Castle Coakley View from the shelter
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Curriculum vitae
Education: 2017-2015 Master’s student on Aarhus School of Architecture (AARCH) Transformation of Cultural Heritage 2014-2011 Bachelor of Science, Architecture & Design (A&D) Aalborg University (AAU) 2011-2008 High school graduation (STX) on Fredericia Gymnasium • Science programme: Mat A – Fy B, Ke B 2008-1998 Bakkeskolen, Fredericia
Professional experience: 2016-2017 Umistelige Kulturmiljøer i Danmarks Yderområder, Aarhus School of Architecture - Student assistant 2016-2016 Autocad course, Aarhus School of Architecture - Assistant teacher, F’16 2016-2016 In Search of Identity, Historiske Huse - Project employee Production of website including layout and image editing 2016-2014 Arkitema Architects, Aarhus - Student worker fall ‘15 & Spring ‘16 full time worker S ’15, intern F ‘14 2014-2011 AAU on Demand - Student teacher Teaching students in High schools - STX, HTX, HHX, EUX & HF in problem based learning, A&D & lectured “The bright idea” 2012-2009 Madsby Parken – Kiosk Føtex city, Fredericia - Department of textiles
Voluntary work: 2015-
Danish Red Cross - Coordinator in the district team of Aarhus C Coordination of Danmarksindsamlingerne 2015 & 2016 i Aarhus C
2014-2014 Danish Refugee Council - Tutor & helper of children & adults in Aalborg 2008-2011 EGIF Football - Volunteer Coach, Assistant coach & player in the local football club 80
Language skills:
IT skills:
Danish
Adobe InDesign
Somalian
Adobe Illustrator
English
Adobe Photoshop
Norwegian German
Autodesk Revit AutoCad Google SketchUp Laser Cutter Digital Cutter Microsoft Office
Exhibition: 8. semester project (AARCH): School of Architecture & Crafts, St. Croix Bygningskulturens Hus, Copenhagen, oct. 2016 Dansk Vestindisk Pavillon, Frederiksberg Garden Copenhagen, dec. 2016 The Blue Mutt, Christiansted St. Croix, feb. 2017
Awards: 5. semester project (AAU): B&O Aarhus - Room for work Best Combination of Model and Poster 2014
Study trips: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Naoshima, Sendai, Teshima, Hiroshima - Japan Dubai - United Arab Amirates Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht - Holland Rome, Naples - Italy Stockholm, Malmø, Gothenburg - Sweden Hamburg - Germany Antwerpen - Belgium Split, Hvar, Vis, Trogir, Kornati, Sali, Luka, Biograd - Croatia
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Amal Abdi Ashur Master’s Thesis 2017
