Agencies assessed hurricane damage to Virgin Islands cultural sites and artifacts

Government House said on April 5, 2018, that territorial and federal agencies were working to identify and assess damage to historic properties, items and artifacts in the U.S. Virgin Islands following hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The effort was led by the Virgin Islands State Historic Preservation Office, the Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums, the Council on the Arts and the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency, with support from federal agencies.

Structures inspected included St. Croix’s Friedensfeld Midlands Moravian Church, built in 1854, where the steeple roof was damaged and downspouts, gutters and siding were affected. On St. John, the East End Schoolhouse, dating to 1862, sustained additional deterioration during the 2017 hurricanes. In Charlotte Amalie, the Enid Baa Public Library and Archives, housed in the Lange Building constructed around 1800, had damaged gutters, some interior water damage and an impaired air-conditioning system.

Government House said FEMA programs involved in the work included Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation, Public Assistance, Mitigation and Interagency Recovery Coordination. The U.S. Small Business Administration, the Department of the Interior, the National Archives and Records Administration, and the Smithsonian Institution were also identified as participating in cultural resource assessment and support.

The statement also said FEMA and the Smithsonian co-sponsored the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, a partnership of 42 national service organizations and federal agencies focused on protecting cultural heritage from natural disasters and other emergencies.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/many-public-and-private-agencies-working-on-restoration-of-usvi-cultural-resources/