A new museum exhibit in the St George Village Museum on St Croix honors the enslaved Africans who were the manpower of the St George sugar plantation.  At one time, the plantation had 150 slaves living in 33 cottages.  The exhibit is in one of the cottages, shown at left, and restored, on what is now the St George Village Botanical Gardens. 

The museum contains artifacts from as far back as the first inhabitants of the area, the Saladoid Indians, who lived on St Croix some 2,000 years ago.  Other exhibits feature those Amerindians, with depictions of Taino dwellings as well as pieces of pottery, amulets, and tools.

Very interesting film clips taken between 1903 and 1919 are broadcast on a TV monitor. These show laborers at work planting and  harvesting sugar cane and taking it to the mill. The earliest film shows the laborers working with oxen under very difficult circumstances.

Another exhibit is a diorama of the estate.  The work is meticulous and gives a feel for how life must have been in the early 1800s.  The  exhibit includes many photos and a short biography of one long-time enslaved African resident, "Mina."

Susan Ladwig VP of the Board of the museum, said, "This museum is important because when visitors and residents know the history of Estate St. George; they know the history of St. Croix."  The garden, located on 16 acres, is owned and operated by its members and receives no government funding.  For more information, visit the garden's website at www.sgvbg.org. 

We are pleased to honor the lives of the African slaves who helped build St Croix.  Be sure and visit the museum when you visit our island.