Friedensthal Mission
The Moravians arrived in St. Croix in 1734, and by the 1800s they had established two flourishing missions, one of which was Friedensthal (Valley of Peace) Mission. This mission served as an important center in Governor General Peter Von Scholten's plans to educate St. Croix's slave population. Friederich Mott, founder of the Moravian mission in the Danish West Indies, intended the missions to be as self-sufficient as possible. By the 18th century, with a strong move to abolish slavery afoot in the Danish West Indies, the Moravian missions prepared the slaves for self-sufficiency by teaching them manual skills and religion. The parish house dates from 1830 and the present church building from 1852.
The Friedensthal Mission is located off Western Suburb Rd. southwest of Christiansted, St. Croix Island, U.S. Virgin Islands. Visitors are welcome to attend services, held Sunday at 10:15am. Call 340-773-1217 for more information or to make an appointment to visit week days.
Information and photos courtesy of the National Register for Historic Places U.S. Virgin Islands Travel Itinerary, a subsidiary of the National Park Service.
