On The Market: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
May 1, 2005
It’s the most beautiful place I’ve seen in my life, and if you don’t
[agree],
you ought to have your head examined.” The
sentiment—expressed
by a character in
Herman Wouk’s Don’t Stop
the Carnival about the
seaport city of Charlotte
Amalie—remains true today. The author of The
Winds of War and
War and
Remembrance started spinning his 1965
Caribbean tale
while staying at Hassel
Island’s Royal Mail Inn, which
sits
across from Charlotte Amalie Harbor.
Although the inn is now only
a relic, its 10-acre parcel features a home with
3,800 square
feet of
indoor and outdoor living space. Also on site are two
guesthouses, a
caretaker’s quarters and sweeping gardens of
orchids, coconut
palms and
banana trees.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
To preserve the natural landscape and ensure
total
privacy for the island’s future keepers, a previous owner gifted
95 percent of
the mile-long island to the U.S. National Park
Service.
Many elements of the
three-bedroom, three-bath
property are
original—from the master suite’s blue bit
stone
and brown rock walls to
the home’s mahogany beams. New York architect
Peter Marino renovated
the house in 1984, updating the kitchen
and adding imbuia
doors and
shutters. He joined the main house
to the two guest rooms with a
traditional West Indian
terrace. (Click image to enalrge)
“This is one of the rarest
properties I’ve
handled,” says broker April Newland. “And there are few
properties in Charlotte
Amalie Harbor that have a private
dock.” The
property affords magnificent views
of St. Thomas
and the harbor—active
since 1650. Many of the home’s 200-year-old
furnishings are available
for purchase.
Market Inquiries
$7.5 million. April Newland, Newland
Real Estate,
340.776.8888, www.aprilnewland.com
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