Reef Bay Sugar Factory Historic District
Reef Bay Sugar Factory Historic District is a historic section of Saint John, United States Virgin Islands located on the south central coast adjacent to Reef Bay. The land is the site of a sugar factory. The property was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on July 23, 1981. The historic district is part of Virgin Islands National Park. The park maintains an exhibit of a well-preserved sugar factory. History Early inhabitants Archaeological research shows that the first inhabitants of the Virgin Islands were Ortoiroid people. The Arawaks migrated over a period of many centuries to the Virgin Islands and engaged in the first agriculture on the land. Local archaeological excavations confirm a Classic Taino culture on Saint John. Plantation era Intermittently starting in the 1670s, the land along the shorelines of Saint John was occupied by settlers with diverse nationalities. The property was used for maritime activities and cotton production. The Danish claimed Saint John on March 25, 1718. The Danish established large plantations worked by slaves brought from Africa. The present Reef Bay Estate was formed in the mid-19th century from two neighboring plantations near Reef Bay. Par Force Estate Par Force Estate was located