Danish Family Museum is a Touching Glimpse of Island History

by Nina York

At Estate Little La Grange in the Rainforest North of Frederiksted is the homestead of a Danish Immigrant family. Surrounded by lush growth of tropical plant life, the historic residence also retains structures from a former sugar plantation.

The white, wooden two-story building is a touching testimony to endurance, telling a story, starting in the 1890’s, of a young farmer, newly arrived from Denmark at the encouragement of his cousin, the pastor of the Christiansted Lutheran Church Herman Lawaetz. Having purchased this former plantation, Carl Lawaetz returned to Denmark to find a wife and brought Marie, who turned out to be the perfect choice. In this simple house they raised a family, and ran a dairy and farm despite for many years living without power, running water and plumbing.

The museum bears witness to the life of Marie Lawaetz, a talented mother who created all the children’s clothes, worked in the primitive kitchen, made cheeses, pursued painting and photography, and earned everybody’s love till her death at age 92. The family cemetery reveals the long lives of descendants earning great respect as Danish Crucians. Marie’s longevity was echoed by her sons: Frits to age 97, Kai to 94, and Erik to 96. The daughters Anna and Else also lived long and productive lives. After the parents’ death, Kai and his wife Irene lived here with his sister Anna. Kai was a horticulturist specializing in hibiscus breeding with an entrance table filled daily with his latest blooms. Frits bred cattle and became a revered politician as senator in our legislature, and Erik was a prominent developer and hotel owner with great interest in island history.

The open gallery providing ample shade was the favorite part of the house, overlooking the lawn and orchards. Many displays reflect the family’s Danish connection as you enter the first floor dining room. Marie was a talented artist and a cupboard shows a set of china that she painted and brought from Denmark. The old kitchen reveals a charcoal-fired stove and primitive housekeeping tools, even a screened cupboard for storing the cheeses Marie made.

Upstairs, a small library is housed in what once was a darkroom for Marie’s photography. The Senepol Exhibit shows the selective mix of two cattle breeds to optimize one perfect for the tropics. Senepol has become a world-wide business run by Hans Lawaetz and his Crucian cowboys. Mahogany rocking chairs in the living room, beautifully carved mahogany fourposters in the bedrooms, and photographs on display tell more of the family history.

The Lawaetz Family Museum, managed by Nate Olive’s Ridge2Reef Farm, is open for tours and farm produce Wednesdays and Saturdays, 11am to 3pm.

Nina York, born in Denmark but a St. Croix resident since 1976, has been a contributor to this publication since 2009 and was its editor from 1990 -2003. She offers guidance to visitors from Denmark and the mainland, does translations, and sells her books, historic maps and print reproductions. ninayork@gmail.com

70 illustrated articles from the pages of this magazine, 2009-2019, documenting in English and Danish the legacy of Denmark’s imprint on our culture. Undercover Books and Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts, $20.