May 1, 2007 — St. Croix notables joined with other American Legionnaires Tuesday morning to ceremonially break ground on a new American Legion post in Frederiksted.
The new post headquarters, the American Legion Bromley Berkeley Post 133, will be going up over the next several months on the empty lot by Nos. 15 and 16 Prince Street, next to the ruins of the St. Alphonsus Convent and kindergarten that used to be associated with St. Patrick’s Church.
The land and buildings were deeded to the legion by the V.I. government and the Housing Finance Authority. Constructing the post is the first, easier phase of the project. Once the moderate-sized new building is in place, the next step is to renovate the early 19th-century convent house. Historical restoration is generally much more difficult and expensive than new construction. Some $118,000 in initial funding for the Legion post comes from Community Development Block Grand funds distributed by the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, while Hovensa also contributed $25,000.
Our Town Frederiksted helped the legion in securing funds, and the Rotary of Frederiksted, businesses and community organizations are helping to continue raising money to bring both phases of the project to fruition.
“As a resident of Frederiksted who has lived right behind this site, I am glad to see this development,” Senate President Usie Richards said to the gathered spectators. “I encourage those in the private sector in our community to help this become established and provide services to the veterans of the Virgin Islands.”
Lt. Gov. Greg Francis, a veteran and member of the legion himself, was there to speak a few words and turn a ceremonial spadeful of earth. Francis emphasized the historic nature of the site and its meaning to many of St. Croix’s native sons and daughters.
“This historic building was the home of the Belgian nuns who came here through the Catholic Church to teach the children of former slaves,” Francis said. “Many of those women came and spent their lives here. Some of our finest citizens, including former Gov. Alexander Farrelly, went there. When the nuns went back home to retire, on several occasions former students traveled to visit them in Belgium.”
According to Al Franklin, president of Our Town Frederiksted, the project is a very important component of the revitalization of the town of Frederiksted, and will be a great addition to the townhouses being built in the area by the Housing Finance Authority, and the restoration of the Old Danish School for government offices.
With the historic convent house at least slated to be renovated, the project marks a milestone in the ongoing renewal and renovations of the town of Frederiksted.
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