Cultivated early in the 18th century, Lameshur Plantation was established for sugar production. By the mid-1800s, the present Lameshur Great House replaced the earlier plantation home as the principal residence of the estate. During the same period, cattle replaced cotton as the main product of the plantation, which turned to bay and lime-oil production by the turn of the century. The remains of the buildings and structures associated with the plantation are in two groups. One is located along the shoreline of the central and western section of the bay and the second on the hillside north of it. These remains reflect the broad scope of St. John's commercial history.

Lameshur Plantation is located east of Cruz Bay within Virgin Island National Park on Little Lameshur Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. The Cruz Bay Visitor Center is open 8:00am to 4:30pm daily; closed Christmas Day. Park areas are open 24 hours a day year round. Call 340-776-6201 ext. 238 or visit the park's website for further information.

Information and photos courtesy of the National Register for Historic Places U.S. Virgin Islands Travel Itinerary, a subsidiary of the National Park Service.

Credits and Sources:

Nancy Cox, Undergraduate Student, University of West Florida