The Lutheran Legacy from Danish Days
St. Croix is an island of churches, and that does not connote empty old buildings as relics of former days, but active congregations filling houses of worship and carrying their faith into the community through neighborhood initiatives to help the less fortunate. The Lutherans are one such group, and on this island you will find no less than four of their churches, thanks in great part to the fact that the Danes brought their state church with them immediately upon purchasing the island from France in 1733.
The Steeple Building, part of Christiansted National Historic Site, was the island's first Lutheran church. A gravestone inside Christiansted's Lord God of Sabaoth Lutheran Church on King Street tells (in Danish) the story of Pastor Johannes Jacob Stoud, who in 1749 volunteered to serve the church as its first pastor in this distant location from his Norwegian homeland, an indication that it took courage and sacrifice to come to this dangerous, remote area. In fact, his ministry took place at nearby Fort Christiansvaern, as the Steeple Building was not completed until 1753.
The "Day of Transfer" of St. Croix from Denmark to the US, March 31, 1917, has been celebrated now for over 90 years. A check for $25 million passed from The Secretary of the Treasury to the Danish Minister, Constantine Brun, and the transfer was complete. The position of Acting Governor went to the Navy's Rear-Admiral James H. Oliver. 
Her i det tidligere Dansk Vestindien er vi særlig glade for danske gæster. Til trods for de mange år siden salget af øerne til USA i 1917, bevarer vi en kulturarv fra næsten 200 år under Dannebrog. Derfor er det naturligt for besøgende danskere at ikke blot nyde det dejlige vejr og den smukke natur men også aflægge besøg på de historiske steder som denne ø har særlig mange af. 
